


Bridging the gap

by Dancingdog



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel, Bully!Castiel, But Gabriel can work magic, Cas is actually clueless, Hate to Love, His people skills are a little rusty, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Like, Lucifer's also a jerk, M/M, Omega Dean, Slow Burn, Soulmates, The slowest of the burns, a/b/o dynamics, at first, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-10-07 21:01:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 126,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10369338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancingdog/pseuds/Dancingdog
Summary: For seventeen years, Dean has struggled with the fact that he is Unpresented. He has no scent and no soulmate and bullies like the rich and traditional Castiel Novak love to ridicule him. His own father is disgusted by him and his teachers pity and ignore him, so one day, Dean finally snaps. A satisfying punch to alpha Castiel's jaw later and Dean is horrified to find he presents as an omega.Castiel'somega....Wait, why is Castiel baking him a pie?





	1. Unpresented

Souls were funny things. They chose matches based on the potential of a person and it often seemed like a person’s ‘soulmate’ was nothing more than a random choice plucked from thin air. 

Sure, sometimes it was obvious why people were soulmates as they shared the same hobby, or taste in music, but on other occasions, the match seemed entirely random.

This was of course, utterly untrue.

The soul based its match (or matches as some people could have more than one soulmate due to a tragic loss, or merely because they were meant to live as a polyamorous group) on whether two people _could_ be compatible, not always if they _were._ This meant that the soulmates had to grow to fit one another, mould into each other’s lifestyle, as it were, and often, that meant making a compromise. 

Most soulmates who initially didn’t see any similarities were often surprised by how easy this actually was, but there were always awkward cases who would make the whole process far more difficult than it had to be.

Everyone usually found their soulmate before their time on Earth was up, but during that time of waiting, between the years of ten and fourteen, young people would present as either an alpha, beta or omega.

It could be a very stressful time for both the child and the parents as if one presented too early, health issues could be raised, and if one presented too late, there was the concern of if they would ever present at all, and this would make their place in society questionable.

Alphas had always been considered ‘Top dog’ in society as they were generally stronger and more intimidating than any beta or omega. Alphas received higher pay, more job opportunities and generally more respect from the public.

Betas were often regarded as neutral and level-headed. They made fantastic doctors and lawyers because of their cool demeanour and their lower risk of being affected by an alpha’s rut or an omega’s heat (although it didn’t mean they were immune to such things).

Omegas were at the bottom of the respect pile. They were often only seen as good for raising offspring by the more traditional alphas and betas, and whilst times were slowly changing and omegas were given the same education as their counterparts, prejudice still existed and they were often limited in career choices and wage stipend.

Then, there were _The Unpresented._

Very few people in the world had no secondary gender at all, but those that did were mocked all their lives; people ignored them and belittled them with cruel words or turned up noses as they had no distinguishable place in society. 

This usually happened because their soul couldn’t find a match for whatever reason, so they would amble along in life, their souls desperately trying to find a bond with someone who was suitable, but finding it difficult amongst all the hate and repulsion aimed their way. 

Sometimes, if an Unpresented moved to another country or state, their hormones would kick in and they would suddenly present, as all they’d needed was to search for their soulmate in another place, but this was incredibly rare and most ended up being rejected most of their lives by those around them.

As already discussed, souls are funny things.

John Winchester was an alpha. Everybody could tell from the moment they saw him that he was an alpha; they didn’t even need to smell him. You could tell.

Sam Winchester was thirteen and was also an alpha, like the rest of the Winchester bloodline.

Dean was seventeen. He was Unpresented.

John was disappointed.

Well, _disappointed_ was rather an understatement. More like _furious._

Ever since Mary, John’s beta wife, had passed in a house fire twelve years previous, John had become slightly unstable. He was an award-winning alcoholic and thought nothing of shouting at his children for every little move they made, including things like sneaking food from the fridge when John had passed out on the couch, thereby forgetting to feed them.

Dean had even been hit a few times, but he would never tell his little brother that because Sam looked up to Dean like a knight in shining armour and Dean didn’t want his innocence destroyed, so he put on a grin and made sure Sammy never got the brunt of their father’s drunken rage.

Still, five state (and therefore school) changes were enough to wear anyone down and coupled with Dean’s Unpresented state, the poor teen got more than his fair share of bullying.

He had attended this high school for barely two years yet the thought of never leaving his house again had crossed his mind on more than one occasion.

Then he would remember that his father was at home and he would almost wish he could never leave school.

It was a never-ending circle of despair.

Fortunately, Sam was always there to pick him up, despite the notion that alphas were the ones who did most of the bullying, and Dean could always depend on his little brother to make him feel better.

One alpha in particular who was the root of Dean’s bullying problem was Castiel Novak.

He came from a wealthy family with tons of kids and a ‘pure’ ( _read: alpha_ ) bloodline and he believed that the best use of his free time was reminding Dean of his Unpresented state.

It had started on the very first day Dean had arrived at the school.

He was fifteen, freshly moved from three states over, and people had given him funny looks then because he had no scent, but he had always passed it off as him being a late bloomer.

Then he had literally bumped into Castiel Novak (and the rest of his idiotic gang) and knocked the alpha’s scalding hot coffee all over his neatly pressed _Louis Vuitton_ shirt.

Castiel had hissed in pain as he jumped backwards, his skin turning pink from the burn and Dean was about to apologise when he had noticed the alpha’s gorgeous eyes and all train of thought had stopped. 

He had never seen an alpha with such beautiful eyes; like bright sapphires glinting under moonlight and Dean had ogled them a little longer, marvelling at the way the light cast reflections upon them.

Then Castiel had growled.

“Watch where you’re walking,” he snarled, obviously offended at receiving no apology for his burns and Dean had startled, then stuttered nervously as other people in the cafeteria began to stare at him.

Castiel scowled at his silence as his gang began to growl intimidatingly.

“Well?” The alpha demanded and Dean blinked, still stuck on the fact that there must have been about two hundred eyes focused on him at this point when he’d barely been in the school for three hours.

Then he’d heard Castiel scent the air.

“What’s gone wrong with you?” He frowned as Dean’s eyes widened. _Not again…_

“Is he one of those Unpresented freaks?” Sneered a feminine voice from behind Castiel, as she flicked her long, brunette hair behind her ear. Dean would later come to know her as Ruby.

“Looks like an abomination to me,” hummed a dark skinned boy beside her. Uriel.

Castiel pulled a face. “Why haven’t you acquired a scent yet?”

Dean calmed his racing mind as he attempted to ignore the rest of the people gazing at him.

“I’m a late bloomer.”

The gang burst into laughter.

“You mean you have no match?” Mocked Ruby and Dean lowered his gaze in embarrassment. Every school he had attended had treated him the same way; the kids would point and laugh and although the teachers wouldn’t outwardly express their distaste, it was obvious they pitied him as they would shove him to the back of the class or wouldn’t ask him to answer any questions.

It had always been that way and now he hadn’t even been in this school a whole day and already people knew of his Unpresented state.

“I think you need to grow up a little before you come to ‘big-boy’ school,” chuckled Castiel as he turned his back on Dean. “You also need to learn how to walk properly,” he threw over his shoulder as he tossed his empty coffee cup at Dean.

Dean batted it away as he frowned. Why did everyone always treat him this way? So what; he hadn’t been in the radius of his match’s soul? He had moved states so many times it was no wonder his soul couldn’t locate a match within a certain range; maybe he hadn’t been to the right state yet.

He had always wondered how someone met their soulmate. He knew if the souls were in range of one another, that was when the person would present as either alpha, beta or omega, but the range of a soul’s search could stretch across a small country, so it wasn’t as simple as that.

Not to mention that soulmates could change depending on the person’s circumstances, as people who endured life-changing events (such as car-crashes, or terminal illness, or even certain job offers or promotions) altered the person in specific ways that may make two souls incompatible, or other souls compatible.

Once you’d gained a secondary gender however, it couldn’t be altered, so souls that had changed matches would have narrower boundaries to work with if the owner had already presented.

Dean remembered his mother mentioning that you found your soulmate by touching them. She’d said when you touched your match, your soul would tingle and try to reach for the other person’s to bond with it, and you would be hit by an ineffable knowledge that this was the person you were meant to spend your life with.

It was a nice dream, to be able to bond your soul with someone else’s and know all of their secrets, all of their hopes and desires, and know what they were thinking and how they were feeling whenever the bond was open, but as Dean stared at the gang who would become his regular tormentors, he lamented that he had a long time to wait before he even considered bonding.

If he even could.

Now he had been in the school for barely two years and nothing had changed since that first day.

He was seventeen and Unpresented and all his teachers treated him as though he were a burden. They pushed him into corners of classes, were particularly harsh with his grades and weren’t interested in helping him when he struggled on certain topics.

Fortunately, he was extremely good with numbers, so subjects like physics and mathematics were rarely a problem for him, and considering he wanted to study mechanical engineering at college, this was a good thing.

Unfortunately, other students cared little about his strengths and more about the fact that his soul still hadn’t found a match.

Dean was getting more than a little tired of it all.

He was getting particularly tired of Castiel.

The alpha wouldn’t leave him alone. Ever since the day in the cafeteria, the other boy would call him clumsy and attempt to trip him up when he was holding hot drinks or heavy books. He would leave perfume test strips lodged in his locker as a reminder of his Unpresented state. He would shout out crude insults in public, letting everyone know he had no match, and the rest of his gang took pleasure in making everything ten times worse.

They would shove him into walls, growl at him intimidatingly, with sharpened alpha canines bared threateningly, and they would often steal his belongings and make fun of his inexpensive clothes and how he came from such a poor background.

Dean would explain what was happening to one of his teachers, but they’d already made it quite clear they didn’t care for him.

“Did the beggars give you any money today?” Sneered Ruby and Dean sighed quietly as Castiel’s gang of twelve joined his table. It’s not like anyone was sitting beside him anyway.

“I believe a brothel has opened on the outskirts of town; have you considered a job there?” Asked Castiel as if he were discussing the weather. Then he paused and Dean closed his eyes, already knowing what was to come.

“Although how would they categorise you; alpha, beta, omega, or _other_?”

There were a few snickers before Uriel reached into Dean’s bag. Dean didn’t see any use in stopping him.

“Did your parents get married for the rice?” Asked Ruby with a chuckle at her own joke and Dean felt his fists clench in anger. He hated it when people spoke disrespectfully of his mother. 

Then Uriel gained his attention as he dumped his mathematics books on the table.

“Look at this. Advanced calculus, applied algebra… The freak thinks he’s going to college.”

Castiel frowned as he glanced at Dean.

“What makes you think you’ll ever get a job? Nobody wants you, Dean. You’re an abomination, and a poor one at that, just like your weedy brother. You’ll never be able to afford college, not when your father spends all his money on alcohol. No college will accept you.” He pulled a face. “Who would care about the poor, Unpresented son of a wifeless drunk?”

And suddenly, Dean saw red. He had never been so furious at Castiel and his gang before, but he couldn’t stop the rage and hurt storming his mind as he growled and lunged at the alpha.

Castiel’s eyes widened fractionally as Dean ploughed into him, pinning him to the floor as he took a swing at his face, and the rest of the gang sat motionless in shock as they watched Dean crack his fist against Castiel’s mouth.

However, the alpha quickly caught up with the program and aimed a few devastating blows to Dean’s stomach.

For a rich snob, he really knew how to throw a punch.

So the two struggled for a few minutes, clawing and tearing into one another until a teacher jogged over and literally hurled Dean into a chair in order to check Castiel wasn’t seriously injured.

The Novak family had made quite a few generous donations to the school in the past.

Dean smirked when he saw the bruises around Castiel’s jaw and cheek, and the blood trickling from his lip, and he barely paid any attention to his own bruises and cuts.

He felt a sense of daring wash over him and he stared Castiel dead in the eye.

“Bring up my family again and I’ll make sure you can’t walk for a month,” he snarled across the room and Castiel narrowed his eyes at him as the teacher escorted him out of the room, shooting Dean a filthy glare.

Then Dean remembered that the rest of the gang were still present and now openly growling at him.

Dean growled back.

It had felt good to blow off some steam with Castiel and now he was looking forward to taking a few swings at his other tormentors, even if he knew he wouldn’t win their fight.

However, before the gang got a chance to leap at him, another teacher hauled him to his feet and marched him out of the dining hall, straight into the Principal’s office. 

 

* * *

 

“Why do you always draw attention to yourself?” Rumbled John Winchester in his military voice as Dean and Sam sat in stony silence at the back of the Impala.

Sam kept shooting Dean concerned glances every so often and Dean turned his head slightly to hide the injuries from his fight.

“Sorry, Sir,” mumbled Dean and John shook his head.

“Why couldn’t you have just been a normal kid?” He asked himself and Dean shrunk in his seat as Sam glared at their father.

“It’s not his fault,” huffed Sam and John eyed him warningly.

“Don’t talk back to me, Sam,” he intoned and Dean put a hand on his brother’s shoulder to stop him from saying anything more.

Sam crossed his arms petulantly.

“Fighting at school,” muttered John. “As if people didn’t have enough to talk about.”

Dean closed his eyes in shame. “Sorry, Sir.”

“Sit up straight, Dean. You’re not some whimpering omega. You could at least act as though you intend to present as alpha.”

Dean did as ordered, ignoring the building urge to scream out his frustrations.

They arrived back at the house and John made a beeline for the fridge where he pulled out a couple of beer bottles.

“You’re grounded for three months,” he said in a clipped tone as Dean limped to his room, Sam trailing him, and the older brother grimaced.

“Yes, Sir.”

Their father turned his back on them and collapsed onto the couch, bottle already to his lips.

The brothers crept into Dean’s room, unwilling to disturb their father as Sam tended to the cuts and bruises littering Dean’s body.

About half way though applying some healing cream to a particularly nasty gash on Dean’s collar, Sam wrinkled his nose.

“You smell weird.”

Dean snorted. “That’s because Castiel was clawing at my face. His scent probably transferred onto me.”

Sam pulled a face, unconvinced.

“I don’t know, Dean. It doesn’t smell like any alpha I’ve ever met. It’s too faint to be anything, really.”

Dean lifted an eyebrow. “I get the hint; I’ll take a shower.”

Sam frowned, but nodded anyway. “Okay.”

Dean shrugged it off; Sammy was a weird kid anyway.


	2. Presented

The weekend passed and Monday rolled around and when Dean next arrived at school, he earned a few shocked stares.

Castiel and his gang stalked over to Dean, obviously intent on seeking revenge for the previous Friday, but none of them got very far with their plan when they actually caught a whiff of Dean’s unusual scent.

“You’re an omega?” Castiel asked, brow creased in confusion as Dean stabbed his watery meatball with unnecessary violence.

“What’s it to you?” Spat Dean, already in a foul mood from the weekend where his father had figured out (during his drunken stupor) that his son had finally presented as a _‘weak, useless omega’._

A few of the gang broke out into smirks and snickers, but Castiel remained frowning at him.

“Who is it?” He demanded. “Your soulmate?”

Dean rolled his eyes. “It’s you,” he drawled sarcastically. He refused to admit to himself that he still found Castiel attractive. There was something twisted about finding your tormentor’s eyes attractive, and presenting as an omega only heightened his receptiveness to Castiel’s alpha scent.

Honey and charcoal. That’s what he smelled of. It was infuriatingly pleasant.

Castiel scowled. “Who made you present?”

Dean threw his hands up, not caring if people turned to look at him.

“I don’t know!” He said exasperatedly. 

Castiel took the seat opposite him as his minions crowded around Dean’s table.

“If you think you have a better shot at beating me in a fight just because I’m an omega, you’re in for a surprise,” Dean growled warily and Castiel tilted his head contemplatively.

“Why would you present as omega? You’re too tall, too broad to be an omega. I would’ve expected beta at the very least,” hummed Castiel and Dean narrowed a glare at him.

“So I’ve finally presented and you’re still going to bully me?”

Castiel shrugged. “Well, you’re not exactly attractive in the conventional sense that omegas usually are.”

Dean leaned forward threateningly in a move an alpha would usually make.

“Maybe, but I can still break your arms in a fight, pretty boy.”

Castiel blinked at the uncharacteristic show of defiance.

“You should show an alpha some respect,” he scowled. “You’ll have to learn your place rather quickly if you are to fit in.”

Dean growled quietly and Castiel straightened in surprise. Omegas never growled at alphas. Someone from Castiel’s traditional background would find it highly disrespectful, so Dean growled a little louder.

“Respect? You don’t deserve respect. You have to earn it; you’re not automatically entitled to it just because you have a few coins in your back pocket. Learn to respect those around you and maybe you’ll get some in return.”

With a strange, newfound sense of confidence, Dean made to leave the table, only to be yanked back into his seat by Uriel.

“Those scars are going to be a great deal bigger by the end of the day,” he whispered and Dean elbowed him away.

“You really think I’m intimidated by you, Uriel? Your nothing but Castiel’s lap dog. A mere servant to a weak master.” He shot a sharp glance at Castiel and the alpha narrowed his gaze.

“You should mind your tone, omega.”

“And you should mind yours, _alpha_ ,” sneered Dean, feeling his temper beginning to flare again. When he was Unpresented, he hadn’t wanted to draw any attention to himself, but now he had, and he had presented as omega and upset his father in the process, he no longer cared what people thought of him. He was just like everyone else now and they could say what they liked about him, but he wasn’t going to stand for Castiel’s bullying any longer. He didn’t care if the other boy was an alpha, he just wanted to vent his frustrations on something, or someone.

When no other reply was forthcoming, Dean stood and stalked off, earning a few impressed glances along the way as the other students discussed how they’d just seen an omega stand up against one of the wealthiest alpha students in the entire school.

Even Dean’s teachers began to ask him questions in class, allowing him the same respect they gave their other students.

Or at least, their _omega_ students.

However, as Dean prepared to board the bus when the clock struck four, the omega was dragged into a rarely used area behind the storage shed.

He bit at the fingers covering his mouth and a satisfied smirk crept over his face when Gordon Walker yelped. Like the rest of Castiel’s friends, Gordon was an alpha who didn’t particularly like Dean.

Uriel smacked Dean over the head.

“Omegas shouldn’t threaten their superiors,” he snarled and Dean shoved at his chest.

“Let me go,” he said as the rest of Castiel’s gang encircled him. Then they made way for the alpha himself.

“Haven’t you ever been taught that omegas should keep their heads bowed in front of an alpha?” Scowled Castiel and Dean snorted.

“Considering I only presented over the weekend, no. I haven’t. And I have no intention of doing so.”

Gordon punched him across the jaw, right where one of his nastier bruises was located.

Surprisingly, Castiel shot the other alpha a glare and Gordon recoiled.

“I’m not here to fight you, Dean,” said Castiel lowly and the omega in Dean shivered at the gravelly voice. “I wanted to warn you what could happen if you disrespect certain alphas. Any one of us could’ve easily hurt you and considering you’re new to being an omega, I thought I’d help you understand.”

Dean tensed, but there was some part of him that wondered if Castiel honestly believed what he was doing was helpful.

“So after you maul me, you drag me to the back of a shed where no one can see us and you lecture me on what it means to be an omega, all because I defended myself in the cafeteria?”

Castiel blinked in what appeared to be confusion.

“I never attacked you this afternoon. What did you have to defend yourself against?”

Dean frowned. How stupid was this alpha?

“You told me I’d have to ‘learn my place’. How is that not a threat?”

Castiel seemed honestly lost now.

“It’s not. You have to learn your place in society; you are an omega, after all. You can’t keep acting so defiant towards alphas; it could get you killed.”

Dean’s brain stalled. Was Castiel kidding or was he really that far removed from the real world?

“I can defend myself pretty well, thank you very much. I managed to pin you, didn’t I?” 

There were a few growls, but Castiel paid them no heed. 

“With the type of neighbourhood you come from, it will be far harder to fend any attackers off. When you experience your first heat, you will be doubly at risk.”

Dean gaped at the alpha for a few moments. This was beyond ridiculous; no way was Castiel this unintelligent. It was obviously a trick or some sort of game and Dean didn’t feel like playing.

He swiveled on his heel.

“Whatever, I’m out of here.”

As he made to leave, a hand gripped his shoulder to spin him back around and just as Castiel was about to reprimand him (probably for turning his back on an alpha or something), both boys’ eyes widened as their souls twitched towards one another.

Dean recoiled as if burned and Castiel stood staring at him in horrified silence.

“It didn’t happen,” hissed Dean as he turned and left before Castiel got a chance to question him.

The moment Dean returned home, he poured over any legible books they owned that described recognising a person’s soulmate (Mary had been quite the romantic in her younger years) and there was no denying what had just passed between him and Castiel. The reaction might not have been as strong as most were, but it was definitely a sign and after hours of trying to disprove what had happened, Dean had to admit defeat.

Sam found him sobbing into his arms around midnight.

 

* * *

 

Castiel frowned into his dinner as he pushed his carrots aimlessly around his plate.

“What’s wrong, Castiel? You seem troubled,” asked his beta mother, Naomi.

The young alpha pulled a face.

“I think I found my soulmate today.”

Naomi looked positively ecstatic and even his father and four brothers looked up from their meal.

“This is fantastic news,” said Zachariah, alpha authority bleeding through his tone and Castiel bowed his head slightly in gratitude. “What is this beta’s name?”

Castiel pulled another face.

“He’s an omega.”

The was a beat of silence before Naomi sighed.

“I was hoping for someone a little stronger to birth and raise your offspring, but no matter. Omegas are adept at breeding so we’ll get a suitable heir one way or the other. The family name shall continue.”

Zachariah nodded in agreement before glancing to Castiel.

“You said this omega is a male? Exactly how small is he? Male omegas aren’t as good at birthing children as females, especially when they’re too lean.”

Castiel pushed his carrots around a little more.

“He’s slightly bigger than I am. Tall with a surprising amount of muscle.”

Naomi pursed her lips, displeased.

“Taller than you? What kind of omega is he? He’s obviously disfigured.”

Castiel scowled at that. Dean might not be attractive in the conventional sense that omegas usually were, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t handsome. In fact, with a chiseled jaw and stunningly green eyes, it was a wonder Dean hadn’t had people lining up for him in his earlier years.

“He’s not bad looking,” reasoned Castiel. 

“When are you thinking of mating him?” Asked Zachariah and Castiel paused.

“I don’t think he likes me very much,” admitted the young alpha and Naomi spared him a glance.

“Why should that matter? You’re soulmates. He’ll come around eventually. All omegas do. They feel incomplete without an alpha’s knot.”

Castiel had his doubts. “I explained to him that he was supposed to respect alphas, but he seemed threatened by me and when we found out we were soulmates, he just… left.”

Naomi scowled. “Sounds like one of those rebellious activist types. The ones that think the world owes them a living.” She shook her head. “Are you certain he’s your soulmate?”

Castiel nodded. “My soul definitely reacted to him.”

“Well,” huffed Naomi. “I suppose you’ll just have to court him and teach him the proper way to behave when you’re mated.”

Castiel frowned. “What if he doesn’t want me to court him? I’m not certain I wish to court him.”

Naomi looked scandalised.

“It doesn’t matter what he or you _want._ This is tradition we’re talking about and in this family, an alpha always courts his soulmate before claiming them. You can’t ignore your match, Castiel. It’s a sacred bond between two souls and you must uphold such a tradition.”

Castiel nodded in understanding.

“Apologies, Mother. I suppose I’m a little confused with all that’s happened today.”

Naomi’s gaze softened. “He’ll come around, dear. Once you start courting him, he’ll put aside his petty judgments and see you as a strong, protective, hard-working alpha, and you will understand why it is fundamental that you carry the family name through your children when you mate him.”

Castiel offered a brief smile as his brother, Lucifer hummed quietly.

“So who is this lucky omega, anyway?”

“Dean Winchester.”

The whole family seemed to hesitate.

“Dean Winchester?” Repeated Michael. “The same Dean Winchester who was Unpresented a mere week ago?”

Castiel nodded and his brothers shared a look of distaste as their parents scowled.

“The same Dean Winchester who attacked you last week?” Asked Zachariah sternly and Castiel nodded once more. 

“Yes, Father.”

Zachariah seemed troubled. “This boy seems rather… uncultured. He will probably need a lot of work to mould him into a desirable omega. Are you willing to teach him, Castiel?”

Castiel nodded respectfully. 

“Of course, Father. As you said, it is tradition.”

His parents smiled, pleased by his attitude.

A few minutes passed before Castiel tilted his head.

“How does one go about courting an omega?” He asked curiously and Michael, being the only one at that point with any knowledge on the subject due to his omega mate of four years, glanced at his younger brother.

“They tend to be impressed with grand gestures of love. Flowers, chocolates; acts you would expect from characters in romantic films or novels.”

Castiel absorbed this wisdom and dissected it carefully.

He began to form a plan to woo Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism welcome


	3. A kick in the right direction

Dean was extremely confused by the rose petals scattered by his locker. 

It was a week after the horrifying revelation of his soulmate and Dean was half-thankful, half-wary that Castiel hadn’t approached him since. He was almost convinced the gang of bullies was going to kidnap him and leave him to rot in some ditch for _‘defiling their leader’s purity’_ , or something equally ridiculous.

So when he neared his locker the following Monday, he didn’t understand why there would be rose petals littered over and around it.

Then he began to wonder if it was someone’s sick idea as a joke because he’d presented as an omega when he didn’t really have the body for it.

It set him in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

When lunch time rolled around, his mood worsened when he saw the colourful bouquet of flowers stuffed into the slats of his locker door.

He ripped them out and threw them into the nearest bin.

However, he failed to notice the blue-eyed alpha watching him from a safe distance away, whose brow had just creased in offence.

That evening, Dean told Sam of his findings and the young alpha had growled in outrage at his brother’s tormentors.

Sam hadn’t changed his opinion of his brother, despite Dean presenting as an omega and he had assured his older sibling that he would always see him as the best friend who took care of him when their mother couldn’t.

Dean may have shed a tear.

John, however, had had an entirely different reaction to his son presenting as omega. 

He had cursed and yelled about ‘weak’ omegas and how they were only good for breeding. Then he had expressed his frustration at Dean not presenting as an alpha like the rest of their family, and how his son would now be a burden on the family’s limited resources due to him needing heat suppressants every three months once his first heat kicked in. Not to mention how their family name wouldn’t carry on through him as it was customary for the omega in the relationship to change their surname.

John finished his rant off with a full bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

Dean couldn’t have hung his head any lower if he’d tried and Sam was radiating fury at their father. However, Dean didn’t want his little brother getting hit for his defiance, so they trudged back up to Dean’s bedroom and began their homework.

So although he told Sam of the flowers in his locker, he refused to utter a word about it to their father; he didn’t want to irritate him any further.

John was passed out anyway.

 

* * *

 

Castiel didn’t understand why the flowers hadn’t worked. Michael had assured him that all omegas were wooed by such things. So why had Dean angrily thrown them away?

He decided to try something else.

Michael had also informed him that omegas loved all things cute and cuddly, so the following Wednesday, Castiel bought a plush stuffed bunny, and with a few carefully-placed threads of string, managed to tie the toy to the slats in Dean’s locker.

Pleased by his handiwork, he joined the rest of his friends as he waited for Dean to stumble upon the gift.

The omega did, but it wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for.

Dean flushed a bright pink when he saw the toy and he grimaced in what appeared to be humiliation, before tearing the fluffy animal off his locker and dumping it once more. Then, without a glance in Castiel’s direction, the omega stormed off, looking for all the world like he wanted to murder someone.

Castiel frowned once more, ignoring whatever his friends were discussing.

Why wasn’t Dean receptive to his advances? He had rejected both Castiel’s gifts and the alpha was confused.

So, when Friday rolled around, Castiel decided to state his intentions more clearly. Maybe Dean had tossed the gifts away because he didn’t know who they were from, so this time, Castiel would ensure Dean knew he was being courted.

He visited a shop that sold expensive speciality chocolates and inside the beautifully presented box, he slipped an elegantly written poem, signed with his name.

_When I say I love you,  
Please believe it’s true.  
When I say Forever,  
Know I’ll never leave you.  
When I say goodbye,  
Promise me you won’t cry,  
For the day I say that,  
Will be the day I die._

_Castiel_

Proud of his creativity, Castiel placed the gift neatly in front of Dean’s locker and upon spotting the omega, he walked to his own locker and pretended to be occupied with it.

He perked up when Dean gazed at the chocolate box with suspicion, then curiousness.

Shrugging, the omega opened the box and popped one of the chocolates in his mouth with a satisfied hum. He didn’t notice the poem stuck to the lid, but Castiel counted it as a victory as Dean chewed on a second chocolate.

Castiel sauntered to his lesson with a smile.

When he returned to his locker later that day, his smile faded as he took in the crumpled box of chocolates resting at the foot of his locker, eighty percent of the treats smashed into their compartments, and his poem shredded into hundreds of tiny pieces.

He frowned when he noticed a messily scribbled note stuffed between the slats of his locker.

_The roses are wilting,  
The violets are dead,  
Make fun of me again,  
I’ll knock off your head_

_Dean_

Castiel felt his shoulders slump at the rejection. Dean obviously knew now that all the gifts had been from him, but why would he think Castiel was making fun of him? It had already been proven that they were soulmates, so why couldn’t Dean just accept his advances? Didn’t he understand that it was tradition for the alpha to offer gifts to their omega soulmate? Dean wasn’t supposed to send them back.

Were the gifts not expensive enough to please him? 

Castiel frowned at that. He would’ve thought Dean would be impressed by most things considering the poor background he came from. He doubted the omega had ever tasted one of the fancy chocolates Castiel had offered him. So why would Dean have such high expectations when he had nothing anyway?

The alpha sighed. He didn’t remember Michael, Raphael and Lucifer ever having these problems when courting their mates, even if Raphael and Lucifer’s mates were betas.

He shook his head and carefully folded Dean’s note up before shoving it into his pocket to question Michael about it later on.

Back to the drawing board.

 

* * *

 

“You think he’s going to try something again?” Asked Sam as he and his brother hopped on the bus.

Dean shrugged, a light scowl creasing his brow.

“Dunno. These aren’t really his style of his joke, but then again, he always had a terrible sense of humour.”

Sam pulled a face. “You sure he’s joking?”

At Dean’s blank stare, Sam continued.

“I’m just saying he might actually mean it. You are soulmates after all.”

Dean shuddered. “Don’t remind me. It was only a faint connection, so maybe it’ll change to someone that actually makes sense. I mean, I can’t stand the guy. We’d probably end up murdering each other on the day we bonded.” He grimaced. “Imagine bonding with him.” 

He shook his head. “No, I’m going to wait for this all to blow over. He’s just messing with me because he doesn’t like this any more than I do and it’s just a new way of making my life unpleasant now I’ve presented. His gang still hate me; that much I’m sure of.”

Sam didn’t look convinced and Dean hated that look because his brother had a tendency to be correct in his judgments.

“If you say so, Dean.”

Sam was dropped off first, so Dean had time to contemplate ways of staying out of Castiel and his gang’s ways for the upcoming week.

Hopefully Jo and Ash would be back after having caught the flu off one another and Dean wouldn’t have to look like a loner at lunch again.

He might also have someone to talk to about this whole ‘new-level’ bullying stuff.

His prayers were answered and the minute he stepped foot through the school’s entrance, Jo pounced on him.

“Long time no see, Dean! Hey, you smell different,” she wrinkled her nose and Ash took a long whiff of his hair in the weirdest way possible before nodding in agreement.

“Too many omega house parties, Dean-o?” He drawled and Dean chuckled nervously before shaking his head and explaining all they had missed in the last fortnight.

“Why that son of a…” Jo trailed off in fury. Both she and Ash had never liked Castiel and his group either; they were rude and haughty and thought their wealth and statuses as alphas made them better than everyone else. 

“Someone needs an attitude upgrade,” huffed Ash as he glanced behind Dean. “Speak of the devil…”

Dean whirled around to find Castiel trotting over to him, a well-tailored Givenchy bomber jacket in his grasp. It looked like it cost more than an entire year’s worth of Dean’s family’s food bill.

Jo crossed her arms over her chest with an unimpressed pout.

“Dean,” Castiel greeted, completely ignoring Jo and Ash.

Dean narrowed his gaze as the alpha held out the coat.

“What do you want me to do with it?” He said, tone clipped and Castiel’s small smile faltered.

“It’s yours.”

Dean frowned in confusion. This was a very expensive joke.

A few of Castiel’s gang stood gaping at them a little distance away, jaws slack and each looking as though Castiel had been possessed. Obviously they hadn’t been privy to their leader’s thoughts either.

Dean gingerly took the jacket.

Castiel seemed pleased. “It’s one hundred percent leather. I assume it will fit as I tried it.”

Dean’s brain was struggling to comprehend what was going on so he didn’t respond as he eyed the jacket warily.

Castiel locked his hands around his back.

“I imagine you’ve never owned such well-made clothing before. It is a pity as your attire could be vastly improved with a little quality.”

Dean scowled. There was the punchline.

He shoved the jacket at Castiel’s chest to the smug satisfaction of Jo and amusement of Ash.

“At least my attire isn’t as unsalvageable as your personality,” he growled before stalking away, his friends trailing after him (but not before Jo flipped the stunned alpha off).

They missed the alpha’s put-out expression.

Dean clenched his fists when Castiel caught up and stepped in front of him, a small frown marring his face.

“I don’t understand. This is a gift,” he said as he held out the jacket once more. “Why are you so upset by it?”

Dean sent him a withering glare. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the colour,” he drawled sarcastically before sidestepping the alpha.

Castiel stopped him again.

“You frequently wear black clothing,” he stated matter-of-factly and Dean rolled his eyes.

“Leave us alone,” he huffed as he shoved Castiel out of the way, ignoring the way his soul twitched towards Castiel’s with the same faintness it had the previous week.

The alpha didn’t give up. “I was under the impression a gift was a compliment, no matter a person’s background.”

Dean grated his teeth together as he whirled on Castiel.

“It’s not the gift, Castiel. It’s you. You speak to me as though I’m dirt under your feet just because I don’t have as much money as you or your friends. You ridiculed me for two years because I didn’t present at the same time as everyone else, you’ve mocked my family and my closest friends, and now I’ve finally presented, you think you’re better than me because I’m an omega. You wouldn’t know how to give a compliment if one fell from the sky and hit you on the head! There’s always an ulterior motive with you.”

Castiel’s eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and offence and Dean shook his head as he caught up to his friends.

“Just stop harassing me,” he threw over his shoulder before the bell rang to signal the start of first class.

 

* * *

 

“This is a wonderful meal, Mother. Isn’t it, dear?” Michael praised as he glanced to his mate.

“Yes, alpha,” replied Anna obediently, gaze lowered and head slightly bowed in the picture of respect. The omega had learned long ago how to behave appropriately in front of her mate’s family and to only speak when spoken to.

Castiel had always been told that this was how omegas were supposed to act, so he saw no problem with Anna’s perfect manners. Anna was an ideal mate for his traditionally-raised, alpha brother.

Michael smiled fondly at her and Anna allowed him a small, pleasant smile in return.

She seemed happy with the arrangement.

Naomi nodded appreciatively at her son (it was proper to acknowledge the alpha of the relationship rather than the partner), before glancing at Castiel.

“Any luck with your soulmate, Castiel?”

The alpha frowned into his dinner.

“Unfortunately, no. So far, he’s rejected all of my courting gifts.”

Michael scowled. “He’s obviously dim witted. Omegas are usually receptive of such things. Why would he reject such an expensive jacket? He should have been honoured that mother and father were willing to spend so much on him.”

From the corner of his eye, Castiel caught Anna’s subtle eye roll. He tilted his head and resolved to question her about it later. Usually, another alpha member of the alpha’s family was not meant to question their relative’s omega mate, but Castiel needed all the help he could get. Anna may be able to explain some of Dean’s irrational behaviour.

“He seemed angered by them,” replied Castiel instead. He hadn’t told his family of the poem Dean had stuffed into his locker.

Michael snorted. “He really is uneducated.”

Castiel didn’t think this was true. He knew of Dean’s affinity for maths and physics, just as Castiel had a talent in the arts (despite this being unusual for the stereotypically heavy-handed alpha).

He remained quiet as his family discussed Dean’s poor qualities.

At the end of the long meal, Castiel approached Anna as Michael argued with Lucifer over something he had no interest in.

“I had a feeling you’d find yourself over here,” smirked Anna knowingly, voice quiet so no other family member could hear.

Castiel offered her a brief smile. He liked Anna; she was polite and respectful, but she always had a mischievous spark in her eyes that hinted at a playful personality despite her outward obedience.

“You have some advice for me?” He asked curiously and Anna chuckled lightly.

“Although I fell for Michael’s attempt to shower me with gifts to prove his affections, not all omegas will take them as a compliment. It depends on the circumstances of which they’re received.”

Castiel tilted his head, puzzled, so Anna continued.

“Dean and yourself have never… seen eye to eye. Realising you’re soulmates and suddenly showering Dean with expensive gifts is not likely to win his affections. Especially when your intentions with him are merely to mate him and continue the family name.”

Cas frowned. “Mother and father wish for the family name to be continued through me. Dean’s offspring will only follow our name if we mate and wed.”

Anna shook her head. “Dean isn’t like me. I am from a fairly wealthy and traditional background. I understand the importance of a name. Dean however, will not care for such matters. He has never had anything worth passing down the generations so it’s not important to him.”

“Then what’s the point of having a soulmate?” Castiel asked, honestly confused and Anna smiled fondly.

“Love,” she said simply and Castiel furrowed his brow.

“But, wouldn’t it be obvious I loved him if we mated?”

Anna shook her head. “He wants to feel the thrill of that first love. He wants to go through the motions of learning about his partner, of that nervous flutter in his stomach the first time he kisses his soulmate. He wants to feel safe around his soulmate; to know that they want him for him, not for what is required of an omega. He wants to know that you find him attractive, that you care about him as both a friend and a lover. He wants to know you value him as a person,” she explained wistfully and Castiel only became more confused.

“But… but he’s not my friend. I don’t desire him as a lover, but he’s my soulmate so I know we have to be with one another. Why doesn’t he see that?”

Anna smiled at him patiently, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

“I know. But maybe if you try to see the world through his eyes, you might understand his thoughts a little more and he may warm up to you.”

The alpha could see how that would work, but there was a problem.

“How would I do that, though?”

Anna shook her head. “It all depends on who Dean is as a person, really. But I have a feeling I know what went wrong with the gifts.”

Castiel perked up at that.

“Dean doesn’t care if you pay one thousand dollars, or one cent; it’s the thought behind the gift that counts. To him, a present signifies you’ve thought of him personally. It shows you’ve taken time out of your day to think about him and have found something you associate with him or think he would like. It shows you’ve taken an interest in him as a person, rather than just an omega.”

Castiel mulled this over for a few moments.

“So you’re saying I should pay attention to his interests and find a present that would suit his tastes personally?”

Anna nodded, pleased. “You got it.”

Castiel quirked a smile. He could do that. He didn’t have to romantically desire Dean to find him a suitable gift. 

“Thank you, Anna. Your knowledge on these matters has been incredibly helpful,” he said gratefully as Michael turned his disapproving gaze upon him and began to make his way over.

Castiel took a step back to show he meant no offence and Michael came to stand by his mate, a possessive arm curled around her.

“Brother?” He asked suspiciously and Castiel shook his head.

“A question regarding Dean,” he answered truthfully and Michael scrutinised him for a few moments before nodding, satisfied.

“Very well,” he said. “But please, next time, ask me directly. You know you shouldn’t discuss such personal matters with your brothers’ mates.”

Castiel nodded apologetically. “Of course, Michael.”

As he turned away, he hoped Anna’s advice would prove more effective than his brother’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Found the first poem from somewhere but can't remember where.


	4. One step forward

Dean startled as a pie slid in front of him.

It wasn’t an inviting golden colour and it seemed a little lop-sided and the apple filling was bursting through the top of the pie slightly. Still, there was no mistaking that someone had home-baked it.

Dean glanced upwards to find Castiel peering at him with nervous eyes. It was so uncharacteristic of the usually confident alpha that Dean had to do a double take. 

“Uh…” said Dean intelligently as Castiel glanced at his feet.

“I… I noticed you like pie,” began the alpha, not meeting Dean’s gaze. “You seem to gravitate towards apple more than any other flavour.”

Dean blinked. It had been two weeks since the alpha had tried to offer Dean the expensive jacket and this new approach wasn’t what Dean had expected. It didn’t seem like Castiel could make fun of him for this. In fact, it was almost as if the alpha was scared Dean was going to laugh at him, if the worried eyes were anything to go by.

At Dean’s non-response, Castiel attempted to fill in the silence, Jo and Ash studying him quietly.

“I was going to buy you one,” he explained, as if justifying his behaviour, “but Mother thought it an unrespectable gift, and as I have no money of my own…” he trailed off awkwardly as he stared in disappointment at the lumpy, slightly burnt dessert.

“I’ve… uh… never baked before,” he mumbled pathetically and Dean, for the briefest of moments, felt a stab of sympathy for the alpha.

He could have replied with something scathing like _“I can tell,”_ or _“There’s probably a reason for that,”_ but it seemed spiteful and petty. Afterall, the alpha had devoted his time to making something for Dean and learning how to do so. Even if Dean had no interest whatsoever in Castiel, he could at least acknowledge his efforts.

“Right.” Dean scratched his neck awkwardly. “Um… thanks. Nobody… nobody’s ever baked anything for me before.” Well, excepting his mother and Sammy’s failed muffin experiment that Dean had braved through anyway.

Castiel perked up quite noticeably, a small, pleased smile lighting his face and Dean felt as though he was obliged to offer one in return.

After an uncomfortable pause, Castiel looked away.

“Glad you like it. I’ll leave you to converse,” he said as he glanced at the wary Jo and Ash, before making a hasty retreat.

Dean shook his head, bewildered before eyeing the disfigured pie. He contemplated leaving it, but Castiel had been correct in his assumption that apple was his favourite flavour, so he took a small spoonful.

And had to stop the groan of pleasure from escaping his lips.

It might not have been the most attractive pie in the world, but Castiel sure knew how to blend sugar, butter and was that… honey?

Jo stared at him in shock. Obviously his attempt to cover up his moans of approval had failed. He shrugged and took another bite.

“Pie’s pie,” he stated before pulling his gift closer.

 

* * *

 

Upon spotting the possessive way in which Dean huddled over his most recent gift, Castiel’s hopes had flourished, and for the next two weeks Dean had received a different flavoured pie every lunch time; each one slightly less lumpy and more golden than the last.

At first, Dean (and then his friends) had taken advantage of the sweet treats, but after the second week, his guilt at using the alpha must have worked its way into his subconscious because he cornered Castiel on a Friday as they were leaving school.

He picked a time when the alpha’s gang were already hopping into their respective highly-priced, parents’ cars and so couldn’t see Dean stopping their leader from making his way to the usual place his mother picked him up from.

“Castiel, wait,” called Dean and the alpha turned around curiously. 

Dean hesitated as the alpha tilted his head.

“I… Thank you… for the pies, I mean.”

Castiel smiled. “You’re welcome,” he replied before turning back to make his way over to his regular waiting spot.

Dean touched his shoulder and then withdrew his hand. He looked shy.

“You know; you don’t have to keep baking them for me. I’m sure your friends are beginning to wonder why you’re acting so weird.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

“I’m not acting unusually. I’m proving my affections for my soulmate.”

Dean grimaced. “Yeah but, see… we’ve always hated each other. It does seem a little odd that you would suddenly start making me pies.” 

Castiel frowned. “I don’t hate you, Dean.”

The omega raised a disbelieving eyebrow and Castiel glanced away.

“I may not have been fond of you at first, but after learning of our bond, I couldn’t hate you.”

Dean sighed wearily at that. “You mocked me when I was Unpresented. Called me names and ridiculed me in front of other students,” he pointed out and Castiel frowned.

“…My brothers told me that that’s how you’re supposed to treat those who are Unpresented. My whole family says people who don’t present at the proper age are tainted. They say their souls are too evil, too manipulative to find someone who could be a match, so they should be treated with wariness and suspicion. I didn’t realise you weren’t like that,” he finished quietly, as if he’d just experienced an epiphany.

Dean found that hard to believe, but then again, he’d found Castiel’s desire to court him hard to believe until the omega had admitted it first-hand.

“Right…” he began awkwardly. “Look, just… enough with the pies, okay? You don’t have to do that for me. It’s the thought behind them that counts and when you make them all the time, the meaning gets lost,” he said, seeming uncomfortable with the subject.

Castiel lifted an eyebrow. Both Anna and Dean had told him it was _‘the thought that counts’._

Maybe Anna had been on the right track after all.

“Okay, Dean.”

“Sure,” frowned Dean. “I guess I’ll see you next week,” he mumbled as he turned away and Castiel nodded despite the omega not being able to see it.

As Dean left, Castiel mused how he would have to question Anna further on an omega’s thoughts later in the future.

 

* * * 

 

Castiel took Anna and Dean’s advice to heart and for the next two weeks, he spent his time observing Dean and finding out more about him from overheard conversations and other students. 

He noticed the omega was loyal to his friends and brother, protective even, and Castiel’s heart twitched a little at that. Imagine Dean being protective and loyal to him when they mated…

He shook his head; that was a long way off if Dean’s attitude towards him was anything to go by. However, when he overheard Dean talking to his friends about some movie or other, he ignored the disapproving glances his own friends were shooting him and edged a little closer to the little group to see what they were talking about.

“Sammy’s been going on about it non-stop,” chuckled Dean. “I think he has a crush on Scarlett Johansson.”

Jo grinned. “You going to see it? I can personally vouch for its awesomeness.”

Ash nodded enthusiastically.

“Team Stark all the way, man,” he drawled, fist bumping Dean and the omega chuckled before scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Can’t. Don’t have the money right now and I don’t want to sneak in again. It’s okay, Sammy understands. We’ll just have to wait for it to go up on Youtube or something.”

“Bummer,” sighed Jo. “I’d lend you the money but I’m trying to save for a new dress for prom.”

Dean chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll look stunning whatever you choose to wear.”

Jo smiled and punched his arm lightly. “Dork.”

“Princess,” smirked Dean and Jo shoved him a little harder.

“Alright, dudes and dudettes, I’m gonna head over to Ms. P’s class. Says if I’m late one more time, she’s gonna make me resit the year,” hummed Ash, saluting lazily before sauntering off down the corridor.

“I better head off too,” said Jo. “I’m supposed to be doing an English project with Charlie. See you later, Dean.”

The omega watched her leave and Castiel ducked back around the corner, smiling lightly to himself. He wasn’t entirely sure what film Dean and his friends were referencing, but he could research _‘Team Stark’_ and buy two tickets for the cinema. His parents would at least approve of that and it would be the first ‘date’ he and Dean would engage in. Plus, it was something Dean liked so maybe the omega would, as Anna had said, warm to him.

He had a lot to do tonight.

 

* * *

 

Dean was wary when Castiel approached him a week later after school. The alpha’s friends were nowhere to be seen but since Dean had missed the bus and was planning on walking home alone, there was nothing to stop the alpha from harassing him.

The pie gifts had stopped and the boys hadn’t spoken to one another since, so Dean wasn’t sure if that meant the alpha had gone back to mocking him. He wasn’t particularly bothered by the idea as he knew he could hold his own in a fight, but he didn’t want to go back home with blood caked over his face because his father thought it immature and petty to get into fights at school. Dean would surely end up grounded again and he didn’t want an extra sentence over the five weeks he’d still got left from fighting with Castiel last time.

“Hello, Dean,” greeted Castiel and Dean raised a suspicious eyebrow.

“Hey,” he grunted when the alpha stopped a couple of feet away from him.

He was surprised when Castiel held out two slips of paper for him to see.

“I was wondering if you’d like to see _‘Captain America: Civil War’_ with me? I’ve heard it’s an extraordinary film,” asked Castiel and Dean stared dumbly at the two tickets.

What was Castiel’s angle?

“Can’t. Not got the money for the tickets,” he huffed and Castiel glanced at the tickets in his hand in confusion.

“…That’s why I bought two.”

Dean narrowed his eyes. “Can’t pay you back.”

The alpha tilted his head. “I’m not asking you to. This ticket is yours.”

Dean sighed. He was getting tired of these games.

“I’m grounded. My dad would kill me, so I can’t.”

Castiel looked confused. “What do planes have to do with going to the cinema?”

Dean blinked and when Castiel didn’t look like he was joking, he barked out a startled laugh.

“Not grounded from flying. I mean I’m not allowed out of the house. Grounded from going outside.”

Castiel looked even more bewildered. “But you’re outside now.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “You really are sheltered,” he grinned and when the alpha frowned at him he shook his head. “Grounded is when you’re not allowed to go outside for fun. I go to school, but that’s it. No going into town or hanging around with friends after school hours. No going to the park or the cinema with friends. I’m basically confined to the house for five weeks.”

Castiel frowned thoughtfully.

“Well, since we’re not friends, that should mean you can accompany me on Saturday. You can’t be having fun if you’re with someone you dislike.”

Dean blinked. Had… had that been a joke? Castiel’s expression wasn’t giving anything away and Dean began to wonder if maybe the alpha did have a sense of humour, albeit a very dry one.

“…I… uh… I don’t think it works like that,” said Dean slowly, although the idea of being let out of the house was appealing, even if it was with Castiel.

“The definition of ‘grounded’ seems to be very vague,” scowled Castiel and Dean stared at the alpha for a little while longer before shaking his head. 

“Even if I wasn’t grounded, I couldn’t go with you. My little brother’s been waiting for that movie to come out for months. I couldn’t go without him.”

Castiel regarded Dean carefully. “You care a lot for your brother,” he stated and Dean nodded. 

“Sam’s the most important thing in my life.” 

…Why had he admitted to that? He’d basically painted a bright red bullseye on Sam’s back for Castiel and his friends to target. If they dared to try to hurt Sam…

He was snapped out of his musings when Castiel held out the two tickets for him.

“Take them,” he said. “My friends don’t really like the cinema and there is little point in me hoarding two tickets I’ll never use. You may as well take your brother, or at least let him invite one of his friends if you’re grounded.”

Dean gaped at him. 

“…You’re kidding, right?”

Castiel tilted his head in a bird-like manner.

“No. I won’t use them. You may have them.”

Dean cautiously grabbed the proffered tickets.

“…Thanks. That’s… that’s really kind of you.” Sammy was going to be so excited.

Castiel smiled at the grateful tone and Dean couldn’t help but smile back.

“Look, man, I… I really do have to go. I’ve got to be back by five,” murmured Dean. “Uh… thanks again. My brother will love it.”

He waved awkwardly before turning on his heel and pacing away slightly faster than normal. If Castiel noticed his strange behaviour, he didn’t mention anything.

Then again, Dean didn’t notice the pleased grin the alpha was wearing.

 

* * *

 

“Has that omega accepted your courtship yet?” Asked Michael as he meticulously sliced a piece of smoked salmon.

Castiel shook his head and Naomi clicked her tongue. 

“He seems rather dense,” she commented distastefully. “I would’ve assumed an omega like that would leap at the opportunity for more money and a cleaner house.”

“And running water and electricity,” snickered Lucifer, to which Michael quirked a smile.

Castiel thought about Anna’s words from their last chat.

“…Maybe he’s not interested in money or material possessions.” He remembered the way Dean had spoken of his little brother; tone full of affection and pride. “Maybe he places greater value on family and friends,” said Castiel slowly. If that was true, that wasn’t a bad quality to have, was it? The idea of being wanted because Dean enjoyed his company rather than because of what he owned sounded appealing.

Was that what love was about?

“And that is why he’ll be walked over for the rest of his life,” dismissed Naomi. “He has no ambition, no goals. How can he achieve anything if he is too busy seeking approval from people who don’t matter?”

Lucifer frowned and before Castiel got a chance to reply, the older alpha spoke up.

“What family? His mother’s dead and his father’s a raging alcoholic. The only family he’s got is his little brother and that alpha is as scrawny as a new-born bird. The whole bloodline is a poster child for misfits and poor mental health.”

Castiel’s lips twitched downwards. Something irked him about the way Lucifer insulted his future mate as though he was entitled to do so.

Naomi curled her mouth up in disgust. “Alcoholism? How repulsive. That probably means Dean will follow in his footsteps. You’ll have to ensure he doesn’t waste all your money on such a pitiful habit,” she stated as she glanced at her youngest son, and Castiel furrowed his brow.

“Dean isn’t an alcoholic.”

“Not yet,” replied Naomi. “But those types of people tend to turn out that way.”

Castiel was beginning to grow uncomfortable. This was his future mate they were discussing, not an alcoholic circus freak with no prospects other than to clean out sewage pipes for the rest of his life. 

“He’s studying mathematics and physics to earn a place at university,” said Castiel, remembering the book Uriel had snatched from the omega’s bag back when he was Unpresented. “He seems rather intelligent.”

“Academically, possibly, but he sounds immature and unwise. You will definitely have your work cut out for you in taming him,” hummed Naomi, returning to her dinner. “I wish you the best of luck, Dear.”

Castiel glanced around his family’s neutral expressions and slowly returned to his own meal. He wondered if Dean’s family spoke of him in the way his family spoke of the omega. After a few moments, Castiel decided he’d rather not know for he wasn’t sure he’d like the answer.

He continued to cut his perfectly presented salmon into edible pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd upload a second chapter today because why not?


	5. Two steps back

Dean stared at the one dented tin of tomato soup shoved into the back of the otherwise empty cupboard and scrunched his nose up in disgust when a maggot squirmed over its lid.

He thought about the two tickets tucked into his sock drawer.

“Did Dad forget to do a food run again?” Sighed Sam in dismay as he watched the maggot wriggle happily over the soup tin.

“Looks like,” murmured Dean. Considering their father was currently passed out in bed and had been all day due to his everlasting hangover, it didn’t look as though he was going to do one any time soon either.

Dean could sneak into their father’s room to grab some money and go to the local shop for a loaf of soggy bread and processed meat, or…

“Hey, Sammy? How would you like to get a bite at the cinema? Maybe watch a film whilst we’re there?”

Sam narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“We can’t afford to go to the cinema right now. And you’re not stealing popcorn again.”

Dean chuckled.

“How about we just buy some food and I’ll use the tickets in our room to get us in to see the new _‘Captain America’_?”

Sam blinked. Then he blinked again because Dean was grinning, but it wasn’t his usual pranking grin.

“You serious?” Sam murmured, eyes lighting up in excitement when his brother nodded.

The youngest Winchester launched himself at Dean, throwing his arms around him eagerly.

“You’re the best, Dean!” He pulled away slightly. “When did you get the tickets?”

“Castiel gave ‘em to me,” shrugged Dean and Sam raised an eyebrow. 

“He did?”

“Yup.”

“…You sure they’re real?”

“Uh-huh,” grunted Dean. “I thought it was a trick too, but it turns out he wanted me to go with him.”

Sam frowned. “…Like a date?”

Dean’s brain stuttered. “Castiel is not trying to _date_ me,” he huffed. “He's trying to humiliate me or get me to fall at his feet like some damsel in distress. He doesn’t do kind or thoughtful.”

Sam pulled a face. “Sounds like a date to me. Which makes me question why you’ve got both tickets.” He paused. “You didn’t steal them off him did you?”

Dean snorted. “No. Like I said, he just gave them to me. I told him I didn’t have the money to pay him back and that I was grounded. He said his friends didn’t like the cinema and since he wasn’t going to use them, he might as well give them to us.”

“ _’Us’_?”

Dean shuffled his feet awkwardly. “Yeah. Us. I told him you wanted to see the movie and he said for me to take you. Or at least for you to go with a friend if I couldn’t go with you.”

Sam looked even more surprised. “…Wait… so he gave you the tickets… so you could take me? Even though he wanted to use them to go on a date with you?”

Dean screwed his face up. “Not a date.”

“Whatever. I thought you said he wasn’t thoughtful?”

“He’s not.”

“He gave up his ticket to the cinema so you could take your little brother to a movie we’ve both been desperate to watch. And he paid for both of us without asking for anything in return.”

Dean sighed. “Well, yeah. But he isn’t usually like that.”

Sam shrugged. “Maybe he’s changing.”

“Doubt it. He just wants me to uphold tradition because we’re supposedly soulmates. Next he’ll be asking for kids.”

“Early days,” smirked Sam and Dean narrowed his eyes before throwing a damp, moth-eaten dish rag at him.

“Jerk,” snickered Sam as he lobbed the rag at Dean’s face.

“Bitch,” countered Dean before gesturing to their room. “Come on. You go get the tickets and I’ll grab some cash from Dad’s room. Don’t wanna be late for the showing.”

Sam nodded enthusiastically but he paused when he reached their room.

“You should thank Castiel. He didn’t have to give us the tickets.”

“I did,” murmured Dean quietly and Sam grinned. 

“Aww… You’ll be married in no time.”

Dean flung his shoe at him.

 

* * *

 

“How was the movie?” Came a familiar gravelly voice and for once, Dean didn’t startle despite being ready to set off on his lonely walk home from school. Somehow, he’d managed to miss the bus again which meant he had an extra half an hour to add onto his journey time.

“It was… uh… it was good. Great actually. You should go see it some time. Fantastic plot.”

“So you managed to go with your brother afterall?” Asked Castiel and Dean would have felt guilty for going with his brother and not the alpha when it was Castiel who had bought the seats, except the alpha’s gaze wasn’t accusatory. In fact, he sounded honestly curious.

“Um… yeah,” coughed Dean. “Managed to sneak out whilst Dad was… asleep. Sam really enjoyed it. Said it was the best night he’d had in months and he uh… he wanted me to thank you.”

Castiel blinked in surprise. “…Tell him he’s very welcome.”

For some reason, Dean couldn’t help but smile at that and in turn, Castiel’s lips quirked upwards as well.

“You should smile more often,” commented Castiel. “It makes you look rather beautiful.”

Dean flushed pink at the blunt compliment and his eyes shot to his feet.

“Handsome. Guys are handsome, girls are beautiful,” he muttered quietly and Castiel tilted his head.

“Can’t you be both?”

And honestly, Dean had no answer to that. Since when did Castiel Novak sprout blush-inducing compliments towards people he supposedly hated?

“Are you walking home alone?” Asked Castiel, sounding mildly concerned and Dean nodded his head hesitantly. The alpha frowned.

“Allow my mother to drive you home,” he said. “An omega shouldn’t be walking around unprotected in the evenings.”

Dean raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“I’ve been walking home from school on my own since I was seven. I’m pretty sure I can handle myself.”

Castiel didn’t look happy with this response.

“But you weren’t an omega then. People had no interest in you. Now with you having presented, alphas and maybe even betas will attempt to take advantage of you, especially in the area within which you reside. You need someone to protect you.”

Dean grit his teeth together. For a second, he had believed Castiel was capable of kindness and understanding, but now he knew it was just another means of belittling him.

“I can cope just fine,” growled Dean. “Thanks for your _concern._ ”

He whirled on his heel but before he got a chance to walk too far, Castiel jogged after him and grabbed his shoulder.

Their souls immediately twitched towards one another, except this time, the reaction was slightly stronger.

Dean pushed the alpha off him.

“At least let me walk you home,” scowled Castiel, but he looked a little shaken by his soul’s response to the omega.

Dean was feeling no better. “I’m fine on my own,” he snapped, taking a step backwards and Castiel took one forwards.

“I will not have my omega putting himself in danger.”

“I’m not _your_ omega,” snarled Dean. “I don’t belong to you and you certainly don’t have any say in what choices I make.”

“You’re my soulmate,” huffed Castiel in irritation. “Of course you’re my omega. Why can’t you accept that?”

Dean bristled and contemplated throwing his fist at the alpha’s face. Then he remembered how Castiel had given him the movie tickets without asking for anything in return and he felt torn.

He decided to merely walk away.

Unfortunately, Castiel didn’t like that response.

“Don’t turn your back on your alpha when he is speaking to you,” growled Castiel as he reached for Dean again. As soon as the alpha’s hand gripped his arm, Dean shoved at his chest.

“Don’t touch me,” he spat and Castiel rumbled in the way all alphas did when they were trying to be intimidating. The omega thought it a pathetic display and he rolled his eyes.

“You’re acting childish,” hissed Castiel. “Why are you being so difficult?” 

Dean snorted. “Because you’re a possessive jerk. I’m not your property and you don’t get to order me around. You may be a potential soulmate, but it doesn’t mean I have to like you. I'll never be your true mate. _Never._ I’d sooner shoot myself.”

Castiel looked exasperated.

“Have you truly never been informed of traditional courtship? Of alpha and omega bonds? You have a lot to learn, Dean. Most alphas wouldn’t stand for this sort of disobedience, but fortunately I understand that your circumstances are rather poor; you come from a troubled background and you are confused from presenting too late. I am patient to a point, but this defiance and immaturity has got to stop. Now please, come here. You need to stay by my side if I am to protect you whilst we walk to your house.”

The resulting crack from Dean’s fist impacting Castiel’s jaw was satisfying.

Castiel staggered backwards as Dean wrung his hand out with a grimace. A large purple bruise was beginning to form on Castiel’s face.

“Stay away from me,” growled Dean before stalking away, leaving a wincing alpha to gently examine his wound.

So much for Castiel beginning to change.

 

* * *

 

Castiel scowled into his dinner as his family ranted about the _‘uncouth omega who had dared lay a hand on such a perfect alpha’._

Everything had been going so well. Dean was smiling and he had blushed when Castiel had complimented him. Then he’d politely offered Dean a lift home and suddenly, the omega attacked him!

Dean hadn’t liked the implication that being an omega made him vulnerable, but that was common knowledge as far as Castiel was concerned. Omegas were known to be weaker than alphas. Why couldn’t Dean understand that? Things were different now he was an omega.

Castiel paused contemplatively. If Dean was still Unpresented, would he have said that? Physically, nothing had changed about Dean other than his scent. Well, not yet anyway. His muscle mass was the same and his size was as it had always been, so… what exactly made Dean weaker now than if he had turned out to be an alpha?

“If I had presented as an omega, would I still look the same as I do now?” He asked the room and all conversation ceased.

“You’d be far weaker,” huffed Zachariah, nose turned up in disgust at the thought. “Cowardly and subservient. You wouldn’t be able to make your own decisions and you’d have to rely on an alpha to look after you. You’d trail after them like a lost puppy and you’d have no confidence in yourself.”

Castiel frowned. That didn’t sound anything like Dean. 

“Unless you were one of those ‘omega activist’ types,” said Naomi. “Then you’d spit on every alpha you met and you’d make a point of only involving yourself with other omegas, sometimes in the most disgusting ways,” she shuddered. “You’d complain about everything and you’d shout ‘discrimination’ if someone so much as gave you a bad grade. You’d act as though your life was overly difficult and you’d whine about it every second you could.”

Castiel pulled a face. That didn’t really sound like Dean either.

The omega was very confident in making his own decisions and although he didn’t like Castiel or any of his friends, he wasn’t hostile towards other alphas. In fact, alphas like Benny and Charlie were considered some of Dean’s closest friends.

And as for complaining about life, Dean barely spoke in class and he never drew any attention to himself outside of it. 

…So, what was it that was different about Dean that made him so vulnerable and in need of Castiel to protect him?

If the bruise on his jaw was anything to go by, it was Castiel who need protecting from the omega.

“Why do you ask?” Naomi queried sharply, snapping Castiel from his musings and the wary faces of his family were enough to tell the alpha it was probably a bad idea to inform them of his thoughts about his untraditional omega soulmate.

“My teacher told me there wasn’t all that much difference between the genders,” he lied and Zachariah snorted. 

“Then they ought to be fired.”

Castiel nodded and lowered his gaze to his meal. Maybe Dean didn't need as much protection as he had originally assumed.

He would have to alter his approach to the omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun game: Take a shot every time Cas says something stupid ;)


	6. A new arrival

Castiel was livid. 

Another alpha had dared to wrap his arm around Dean’s waist and the omega didn’t look as though he had any intention of rebuffing him. 

The intruder’s name was Fergus, a.k.a _‘Crowley’_ to all his friends. He was smarmy and cunning and he always found a way to get what he wanted. He was the school’s resident bad boy, but not because he was particularly fond of getting into brawls or for pranking figures of authority.

Nobody liked to cross Crowley because if you did, there was a high probability you’d suddenly go missing without a trace.

It was speculated his family were part of the Mafia, but nobody was really certain. All they knew was Crowley didn’t originally come from America and the only clothing he was ever caught wearing was a black Armani suit, tailored to fit him perfectly.

So why did he have his arm around Castiel’s soulmate?

Castiel wasn’t stupid. He knew irking Crowley had a high chance of working out badly for him, but he couldn’t just let the other alpha flirt with his soulmate. He approached them cautiously and his friends eyed him in surprise. It was well known that Castiel and his gang didn’t associate with Crowley and his goons.

“Hello, Dean,” greeted Castiel when he was close enough and the omega narrowed a glare at him.

Crowley appeared to watch him curiously, but the alpha’s hand slid a little more securely around Dean’s waist and his smile was too slow, too lazy to be anything but a warning. Dean didn’t seem inclined to move.

Castiel suddenly felt his confidence drain away. The pair were clearly in a relationship and Castiel was playing a dangerous game by interfering with Crowley’s life. Even the school was too frightened to expel him because of the potential consequences.

“Hello, Castiel,” drawled Crowley when Dean didn’t respond. “What can we do for you?”

The blue-eyed alpha scowled. No. This was _his_ soulmate, not Crowley’s.

“You can’t do anything. However, I wish to speak to Dean in private.” He glanced at the omega pointedly. “It’s quite urgent.”

Dean crossed his arms. “I’ll bet.” And just to prove a point, he leaned into Crowley, who blinked smugly like a cat who’d just got the cream.

Castiel realised the whole cafeteria was watching them in silence. It was rather unnerving.

“Please, Dean. I wish to discuss what happened last time we conversed.” He needed to explain that he now understood Dean wasn’t weak just because he’d presented as an omega. 

“Discuss it with your friends,” huffed Dean. “It’s what you usually do.”

Castiel frowned. Now Dean was just being difficult.

“Nice bruise,” commented Crowley and Castiel gingerly placed his fingers over the purple mark. It still ached.

“Dean’s quite the fighter, isn’t he? Strong, brave, handsome… I’m privileged to have been chosen by such an intelligent omega. I’ll do my best to make sure he doesn’t regret his choice,” hummed Crowley and Castiel paused.

Crowley knew.

The other alpha knew Dean and Castiel were potential soulmates and he knew Castiel had upset the omega, and now he was rubbing salt in the wound by flaunting Dean in front of him.

This was war.

If Crowley wanted a competition for Dean’s affections, then Castiel would give him one.

The blue-eyed alpha forced a polite smile.

“…Indeed. You are a very lucky alpha. Let’s hope your luck doesn’t run out.”

Crowley raised an eyebrow and Dean’s scowl deepened.

“I think you should leave,” the omega murmured as he tugged Crowley a little closer and Castiel didn’t take his eyes off his smirking rival.

“You heard the man,” hummed Crowley and Castiel grit his teeth before briefly bowing his head and pacing away stiffly.

Crowley may have won this round, but Castiel would be the overall victor of their little game. 

Dean was his.

 

* * *

 

Sam hadn’t been too thrilled at the news that Dean was dating the son of a supposed Mafia boss. John had no idea and neither Winchester brother had any intention of telling him any time soon.

Dean had been sceptical when Crowley had first approached him. They weren’t particularly friends, but they weren’t enemies either and Crowley had been one of the only people to never openly judge or insult Dean whilst he was Unpresented. He also seemed to respect all genders equally, which was a plus in Dean’s books.

So, when the alpha had sauntered over to him after his fight with Castiel the previous Friday, charming smile in place and bag of Hershey’s Kisses in hand, and had easily complimented Dean for his ability to defend himself before admitting he found the omega attractive, Dean had accepted his offer of courtship.

It would certainly anger Castiel and Dean was all for making the sapphire-eyed alpha jealous and maybe it would give him the hint to back off. He tried to convince himself that was the only reason he had considered courting Crowley, because there was no way he needed an alpha to look after him or make him happy.

However, somewhere deep down he knew things weren’t that simple. 

After being Unpresented for so long and having so many people outright reject and ridicule him, it felt good to be wanted. For the first time ever, Dean felt normal and Crowley didn’t actually seem like all that bad of an alpha. He was actually rather soft-spoken and since Dean didn’t really have many kind words directed towards him, or any sort of respect, Crowley was a breath of fresh air.

“Everything alright, Dean?” Asked Crowley softly and the omega glanced into intelligent but warm eyes.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Fine. Just thinking.”

The alpha smoothly slipped his hand into Dean’s as they exited the school and Dean was pleasantly surprised by the small twitch of his soul towards Crowley. Not quite as strong as the reaction it gave at Castiel’s touch, but nonetheless it was still a reaction. He blinked as Crowley chuckled.

“Guess we’re just meant to be,” he teased and Dean couldn’t help but quirk a smile. He liked Crowley. The alpha didn’t take everything in life too seriously and whilst the lazy smile permanently etched onto his face was initially a little disturbing, once Dean got used to it he found it rather comforting. If the alpha was smiling, that meant everything was okay.

They’d been together for two weeks and already Dean had found his spirits lifted whenever he saw Crowley. The alpha’s eyes were always that little bit brighter when he and Dean were in a room together and the omega liked the strange feelings that brought to his chest.

“Any chance you’d like to accompany me to the cinema Saturday evening?” Asked Crowley and Dean wanted to say ‘yes’. He wanted to grin and say he would love to go with the alpha but unfortunately, he couldn’t.

“Still grounded for another couple of weeks,” he sighed unhappily and Crowley paused and turned to Dean with a sympathetic gaze.

“I can talk to your father if you wish? Ask him to lift the punishment. I could even offer him money if you think it would help? You’ve been stuck in that house for over two months. It’s rather an unfair sentence considering the person you punched deserved it.”

Dean allowed himself a small smile. Crowley had made his opinions of Castiel quite clear ever since he’d heard the alpha trying to insist Dean was his property.

“As appealing as that sounds, I don’t think it would help. In fact, trying to bribe him would probably only make things worse,” confessed Dean and Crowley brushed a thumb over his knuckle apologetically.

“I see,” he muttered. “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait until you’re free to go on a proper date. I don’t exactly count soggy pizza and flat Pepsi in the school’s canteen as suitable date settings. Especially not when eight hundred other teens are gawking at us.”

Dean chuckled. “They’re probably wondering why the well-dressed, charming British student is sitting beside the poor, recently-presented, dumb Kansas kid.”

Crowley frowned. “You’re not dumb, Dean. You’re at the top of your classes for physics and mathematics. You know how to defend yourself against unwanted advances. You’re brave and strong and loyal, and they are all far better qualities to possess than having wealthy parents.”

Dean averted his gaze. Crowley often blurted out compliments like that when he was least expecting and Dean never knew what to do with them. So he did what he always did; laughed them off whilst simultaneously putting himself down.

“Your expectations of me are way too high,” he smiled. “But I’m glad I’ve got you fooled into thinking that.”

Crowley gently squeezed his hand. “You shouldn’t speak so little of yourself. You’re a marvelous person and I hope that one day, I can get you to see it.”

Dean glanced at the floor and Crowley slowly led him to his mother’s glossy black Rolls Royce. 

“Allow me the pleasure of taking you home?” He asked as Dean glanced at the tinted windows and the omega hesitated.

“You don’t have to do that. My neighbourhood isn’t exactly the most… aesthetically pleasing.”

Crowley smiled patiently. “It’s Winter and your bus was full. Nobody should have to stand in the cold for so long and there is no point in you walking home alone when this car has enough room to transport an entire football team.” The alpha interlaced their fingers. “Besides, it’ll give me more time with you.”

Dean glanced at their tangled hands and nodded with a shy smile. Crowley grinned and opened the door for him.

“After you, Dear.”

When they were both nestled in the plush leather seats of the Rolls, Dean carefully slid his hand over Crowley’s and the alpha’s fond grin was enough to bring a smile to his own lips.

They entwined their fingers once more and spent the journey chatting about the movie they were going to watch in the next couple of weeks.

 

* * * 

 

“And you’re certain he’s your only match?” Huffed Naomi as Castiel pushed his food around his plate moodily.

“Yes,” grumbled the alpha. “My soul hasn’t reacted to anyone outside of Dean Winchester.”

Naomi pursed her lips unhappily. “I don’t understand how such an abhorrent omega could be suitable for you. The nerve of that boy; rejecting you as though he believes he’s worth something and then parading around and spreading his legs for any alpha he meets. It’s disgusting. Surely his father raised him better than that.”

“I doubt it if the man’s blood is ninety percent alcohol,” snorted Zachariah.

“Well, brother, you’ll just have to beat Crowley at his own silly game,” stated Michael. “Prove you’re the better alpha and Dean is bound to come back to you with his tail between his legs and an apology on his lips.”

Castiel sighed. “But how do I do that? What if Dean’s soul is reacting to Crowley’s? How would I break their relationship apart and hope for him to choose me if he doesn’t even like me?”

Raphael rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to like one another. You just have to make sure he grows to hate Crowley.”

Castiel frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Said Raphael. “Just get Dean to despise Crowley more than he dislikes you and he’ll have no choice but to pick you. It’s very easy to spread a rumour around a school and if Dean thinks Crowley has said something particularly unkind about him, you can guarantee that relationship will be over.”

Despite her head being lowered, Castiel didn’t miss Anna’s uncomfortable shift. 

“What a wonderful idea,” praised Zachariah, smiling at Raphael before turning his attention to Castiel. “Start a rumour about Dean’s family. A sensitive topic such as his mother, maybe and tell everyone it’s what you overheard Crowley talking about. Dean will be begging to come back to you in no time.”

Anna bowed her head a little lower as she shifted once more and Castiel tilted his head at the movement. He would have to question her about it later.

“Yes, Father,” murmured Castiel, but there was something niggling at the back of his brain; something that kept insisting there were a lot of things wrong with that plan. “Thank you, everyone for your help.”

There were a few satisfied nods as everyone returned to their meals and when dinner was over and everyone had dispersed, Castiel slipped over to Anna like he had when this whole soulmate ordeal had started.

“Is everything alright, Anna?” Asked Castiel quietly, making sure his brother’s back was turned so they couldn’t be seen. “You seemed uncomfortable at dinner.”

Anna glanced at him once before her gaze flicked to her mate and back again.

“Meet me in the upstairs bathroom,” she whispered before gliding over to her mate to ask him if she could use the lavatory. Michael nodded and she promptly left the dining room.

“Mother, may I check my phone? I’m waiting for a friend to call about some school work and I left my phone upstairs,” lied Castiel. 

Naomi nodded. “Be quick.”

The young alpha smiled politely and ran up the stairs.

He felt a little uneasy walking into the bathroom when Anna was also in there, but she was merely standing in the centre of the room waiting for him, so he managed to ignore the feelings as Anna locked the door behind him.

“I know it’s not my place to give you advice on matters such as these,” murmured Anna worriedly, “but I urge you to not go through with the plan to break Crowley and Dean’s relationship apart.”

Castiel tilted his head. “Why not? If I don’t do anything, I’ll lose Dean.”

Anna shook her head. “Castiel,” she sighed. “You never had him.”

He scowled and was about to protest when she spoke again.

“I’m not saying you should give up on him, but trying to break his new relationship apart will not make him like you any more than he does now. And I know you think it means he’ll have to choose you, but he’s more likely to ignore both of you and not attempt another relationship. You still won’t have him and you’ll only have succeeded in making him unhappier. 

“Not to mention if he finds out that you were the one to start the rumours, it’s likely he’ll lose all trust in you and he’ll apologise to Crowley, maybe even resulting in them getting back together.”  
Castiel frowned. He hadn’t thought of that. 

“But… what should I do then? How do I get his attention?”

Anna smiled patiently. “Get him to like you,” she said simply and Castiel raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve upset him,” she murmured softly. “You mocked him for two years and then suddenly, just because you found out you could be soulmates, you started stating you wanted to court him. But the problem is, you don’t really know anything about him and it’s clear you only want to court him to adhere to tradition.

“Dean doesn’t want that. He’s probably with Crowley because the alpha is friendly and considerate and he makes Dean feel wanted for who he is rather than his omega status or his soul’s reaction. It sounds to me like Dean doesn’t really get a lot of kindness thrown his way,” she mumbled sadly before glancing up at Castiel.

“Dean doesn’t want to be treated as if he’s just an omega stereotype. He’s no different to how he was when Unpresented, and although his body will begin to change to accommodate his new gender, to him, he’s the same as he has been for seventeen years.”

“So, what are you suggesting?” Asked Castiel slowly, trying to absorb all this new information.

Anna’s eyes sparkled with hope and Castiel wondered if she had originally believed he would dismiss her ideas.

“Apologise to him. Admit you were wrong to treat him as you did, not only the other day, but for the past two years. Tell him you’re glad to see him happy with Crowley and ask him if it would be possible to just be friends.”

“Wait, how would that help?” Asked Castiel, confused. “I don’t want him to be with Crowley, I want him to be with-“

“You have to get to know him first though,” interrupted Anna. “Dean wants a friend; someone who cares for him because they want to, not because they feel obliged to. Treat him as you would all your other friends; you may be surprised how much you have in common. Invite him to places, chat to him, make an effort to get to know his friends. Find out who he is, what his life is like. Cheer him up when he’s feeling down, smile with him, empathise with him. Find a reason to love him.”

Castiel frowned. “How will I know if I love him? What if he still doesn’t want me? What if he still chooses Crowley?”

“You’ll know if you love him,” smirked Anna knowingly. “Trust me, you’ll know it with every fibre of your being. And if he still chooses Crowley, well you’ll have tried your best and at least you’ll have gained a new friend. And so will Dean. I know it seems like a lot of hard work, but it’ll be worth it in the end, even if you don’t have a relationship with one another.”

She gazed at him. “If he doesn’t choose you then he obviously isn’t the right one, but at least you’ll have learned what to do when the right one does come around. Maybe Dean will even help you get them.”

Castiel perked up slightly. He’d never thought about Dean wanting to be his friend and genuinely offering to help him. It was a pleasant thought.

“Thank you, Anna,” he murmured gratefully. “Your insight into matters of the heart is most appreciated. I will try my utmost best to do as you have asked.”

Anna beamed at him and Castiel couldn’t help but grin back. He liked it when Anna visited; she was patient and willing to listen and she always grinned when Castiel thanked or complimented her.

“Michael is very lucky to have you,” he murmured and Anna’s gaze softened.

“You can be such a sweet alpha, Castiel,” she whispered wistfully. “You just need a little push in the right direction sometimes.”

Castiel thought about the times he had followed his family’s advice compared with the times he’d followed Anna’s and he began to wonder if he needed to stop listening to his family. If what Anna had suggested today proved successful, he would have an answer to that question.

“Your family will be wondering where we’ve got to,” hummed Anna. “We’d better hurry.” She made to unlock the door, but she was taken off guard when Castiel pulled her into a gentle hug.

“Castiel?” She asked, surprised. They never touched one another. It wasn’t proper.

“Thank you, Sister,” he whispered and Anna’s expression melted into one of joy as she hugged him back.

They quickly pulled apart and both found themselves smiling as they left the bathroom.

Nobody questioned why they were walking down the stairs together, although Michael did shoot Castiel a suspicious glance, and as Anna moved into the kitchen to help Naomi with the dishes, Castiel decided to take out the rubbish.

As he walked outside, he began to imagine all the ways he could get Dean to trust him and he found he liked the idea of having the omega as his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where would we be without Anna?


	7. The challenge

Dean quirked his lips when Crowley squeezed his hand gently. 

“I’d better get to class, darling,” he murmured. “Take you home later?”

Dean nodded. He liked the extra time that being in the Rolls granted him with Crowley. 

Crowley grinned and sauntered off to class, a couple of tough-looking alphas trailing him and Dean shook his head in amusement. The pair really did act like Crowley’s bodyguards even if they had no reason to. Crowley was quite adept at handling himself.

He nodded to Crowley’s friends, who nodded back politely and he turned to find his own friends. As he walked through the cafeteria, he was greeted by impressed glances and some approving gazes as eyes roamed over his body. Dean laughed internally. 

Four weeks ago, nobody would have looked at Dean twice, but now it was official he and Crowley were together, suddenly it seemed like everyone was interested in him despite him not looking like the conventional omega and regardless of whether these were the same people who had ridiculed him for being Unpresented.

High school kids were so shallow.

“His majesty approaches,” teased Jo as Dean neared the table and the omega chuckled when Ash bowed extravagantly. Charlie frowned at something to Dean’s left.

“Hey, dude with the plastic golden chain around his neck. Dean’s eyes are on his face, not between his legs.”

The scolded alpha blinked at Charlie before quickly whirling to face his own table. Charlie huffed in disgust and Dean slid in beside her.

“Thanks,” he chuckled.

“No problem,” muttered Charlie before her face lit up. “How are you, anyway?”

“Good,” Dean answered truthfully. Honestly, he hadn’t been this happy in a very long time. Crowley made him happy.

Jo and Charlie shared a brief glance. 

“And lover boy is treating you… well?” Jo asked cautiously and Dean sighed.

For some reason, his friends were wary of Crowley. Dean had tried time and time again to assure them the alpha was surprisingly sweet and gentle, but they either didn’t believe him or didn’t listen. 

Dean found it laughable. Crowley was one of the few decent alphas he’d met and he was the perfect gentleman. He hadn’t so much as attempted to kiss Dean, claiming to want to take things slowly and move at the omega’s pace. Dean was flattered and Crowley had only further proved his respectful view on omegas.

“I couldn’t ask for anyone better,” huffed Dean and once again Jo and Charlie shared a glance before relaxing slightly. 

“Anyway, what are you guys doing for your history essay?” Asked Charlie and the four struck up a discussion about their most recent assessment on modern history.

It wasn’t long until they were interrupted. 

Charlie and Ash narrowed their eyes at the familiar intruder and Jo practically growled, startling the raven-haired alpha. Dean turned to find Castiel watching the blonde beta with a bewildered expression.

Dean scowled. “What do you want?” It had been two weeks since his last disastrous encounter with the alpha. They hadn’t spoken since.

Castiel glanced at Dean for a few moments before realising what he wanted to say and he held out two slips of glossy paper. 

“I… I came to apologise,” he stuttered sheepishly. “For my behaviour a couple of weeks ago. It was uncalled for.”

Dean blinked. Since when did Castiel Novak apologise to anyone? Especially an omega?

The omega shook his head. It didn’t matter; Castiel was still a jerk who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and Dean had Crowley now. The blue-eyed alpha wouldn’t dare try anything with him when Crowley’s gang were sitting in the same room.

“Whatever,” he snorted, turning back to his lunch. “Why don’t you go tell someone who cares?”

The omega was surprised when two concert tickets slid in front of him. His eyes widened when he realised they were backstage passes for _Bon Jovi_. 

“I understand why you’re wary of me and you have every right to be, but I was hoping… I was hoping maybe we could start again?”

Dean bristled. “Are you kidding me? I’ve made it very clear I’m in a relationship with someone else, yet you’re still going to try to make a move on me? Are you really that desperate, or are you just stupid? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

Castiel’s eyes grew wide.

“I didn’t mean to imply…” He took a deep breath and started again. “I meant to say I was hoping we could start again as friends. I understand my treatment of you these past two years has been less than acceptable and I wish to make it up to you.” He gestured to the two tickets on the table. “I realise it is no compensation, but I was hoping it would be a start. You do enjoy rock music, correct?”

Dean narrowed his eyes at the alpha. After years of verbal abuse and sometimes even physical abuse, Castiel thought he could buy Dean’s forgiveness?

“Not interested,” he snorted as he slid the tickets towards Castiel. “Why would I ever want to talk to you, let alone be friends with you? You’re the most disgusting, prejudiced, narrow-minded alpha I’ve ever met.”

Castiel frowned but there was no snapped insult like Dean was expecting. The alpha merely pushed the tickets in front of him again.

“If you won’t accept them as a peace offering, then use them to take advantage of me. I’ve paid for them and there’s no point in letting them go to waste. I hate rock music so I won’t use them.”

Dean rolled his eyes, although the thought was appealing; he’d never been to a live concert. But there was a problem.

“I have no way of getting there; can’t drive. So, guess you just wasted a fair bit of money for music you hate.” There was no way his dad would ever consider driving Dean to a rock concert forty miles out, especially when he wasn’t invited. He wouldn’t be able drink.

Castiel paused for a few seconds before coming to a conclusion.

“Allow my mother to drive you.”

Dean laughed scathingly. “Me in a car with you and your mother? No thanks. I’d rather peel my own skin off.”

Castiel sighed. “I don’t have to accompany you. Besides, you won’t be on your own. There are two tickets for you to take whoever you please.” The alpha closed his eyes for a moment before glancing back to Dean. “Maybe Crowley would appreciate such music?”

Dean hesitated. Whilst he knew Crowley enjoyed rock music almost as much as he did, he also knew the alpha wouldn’t appreciate the crowded, noisy, sweaty atmosphere of a live gig. He glanced to Charlie, who looked away and he quickly remembered she preferred the gentler sounds of modern pop groups. He flicked his gaze over to Jo and Ash.

“Either of you free?”

Jo grabbed one of the tickets and scrunched her nose up.

“This gig’s two weeks away. Mom wants me to help out at The Roadhouse that weekend since we’re short on staff.”

Ash peered over her shoulder at the ticket and shook his head.

“’Fraid not, Dean-o. I’ve got a college interview.”

Castiel blinked at him.

“ _You_ got an interview?”

Dean clenched his fists under the table as Ash glanced at him blandly.

“MIT,” he replied before pushing the tickets back over to Dean. “Sorry, man.”

Dean sighed quietly. He knew Sam wouldn’t want to come since he had an important test he had to study for, which left him out of options.

Suddenly, a smirk made slipped over Jo’s face and she glanced at Castiel slyly before her gaze flicked back to Dean.

“That’s a shame, Dean. I know how much you like Bon Jovi. And all the rowdy crowds and sweat-stained shirts and beer bottles layering the floor would only add to the incredible magic of a live concert. Plus, you would’ve been able to go backstage to meet the crude rock stars who made a living out of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. All you need is someone to go with you. Someone who loves the screams of guitars and the deafening crash of the drums as much as you do.” 

She paused and glanced to Castiel as if she’d just had an epiphany.

“Hey! Why don’t you take Castiel? He paid for the tickets afterall and it’s only polite.”

Dean was about to protest, but when he spotted the poorly concealed look of horror on Castiel’s face, the omega felt a grin creep across his lips.

“You know… that’s not a bad idea. What do you say, Castiel?”

Castiel turned his mortified expression upon Dean.

“I… I’d rather not, thank you. It doesn’t appear to be my type of venue.”

Dean chuckled. “Oh, come on. Live a little! Besides, you said you wanted to be friends, didn’t you? Friends go out together, right? Think of it as a guys’ night out.”

Castiel’s eyes darted frantically between Dean and Jo.

“I… I don’t think my parents would approve- ”

“They let you buy the tickets, so they must be alright with it,” dismissed Dean, becoming more and more gleeful at every excuse the alpha made. Whilst usually he couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Castiel, the thought of dragging him to a loud, grating rock concert when the alpha was so _‘prim and proper’_ was hilarious.

Castiel’s eyes blew a little wider. “I… I don’t…” 

“A poor, helpless omega like me can’t possibly go to a big, scary rock concert on his own. I need a strong, assertive alpha to protect me,” mocked Dean and a brief, pained expression crossed Castiel’s face before he shook his head in defeat. He knew he wasn’t going to get out of this without being ridiculed.

“Fine,” he huffed and Dean was surprised by his compliance. He hadn’t believed the alpha would actually go along with their plan to make him squirm. 

“I’ll pick you up at six,” Castiel grated out. 

“Great. Meet me outside the library,” Dean shot back, smirking at all the ways he was going to make Castiel uncomfortable.

Castiel ground his teeth together before stalking off and when Dean turned back to his table, Jo, Charlie and Ash were all staring at one another.

“I didn’t think he’d actually go for it,” murmured Jo. “I just wanted to watch him suffer through various stages of horror.”

Dean chuckled. “I didn’t want him to say yes at first, but now he has, I’m kinda looking forward to his reaction.” He grinned. “Do you think he even knows what a guitar looks like? I’m placing my bets on him only listening to classical.”

Charlie snickered. “ _’Living on a prayer’_ is a little different to Chopin’s _‘Raindrop Prelude’_. Think he’ll be able to handle it?”

“Not a chance,” scoffed Dean before his eyes lit up. “I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter, but it just makes the story flow better.


	8. The Concert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up: Implications of rape (but nothing happens)

The ride down to the gig was uncomfortably silent and Castiel’s eyes kept flicking back to his brother’s face, heart beating a little quicker at every disapproving glance he shot Dean through the mirror.

If Dean had noticed, he wasn’t saying anything and Castiel trained his gaze on his lap once more as the other boy turned to face the window.

“So, Dean,” began Michael and Castiel’s heart leapt to his throat. He prayed he didn’t say something to upset the fiery omega.

“I take it this is your formal acceptation of Castiel’s offer of courtship? A wise choice, especially for someone of your background.”

Dean laughed humourlessly as he checked his watch.

“Wow. Twelve minutes. You managed to go twelve minutes without insulting me. I’m impressed.”

Michael frowned and was about to speak up when Dean cut him off.

“And this isn’t me accepting anything. I happen to love Bon Jovi and your brother happens to hate rock music. I thought I’d bring him along to watch him grimace. Call it petty, but after the way he’s treated me these past two years, I think it’ll be funny to watch him suffer.”

Castiel winced. He hadn’t thought Dean would be so blunt about his intentions but he couldn’t say he hadn’t expected the reasons for Dean's request for his presence. At least the omega was honest.

Michael bristled. “How dare you!” He hissed. “My brother offers you protection and loyalty and you have the nerve to actively seek to hurt him? Who do you think you are?”

Dean narrowed his eyes.

“Your brother offers me restriction and possessiveness. Why would I choose that over my own freedom? Why would I choose him after everything he’s done?”

Castiel sunk a little deeper into his seat.

“You would do well to mind your tone, omega,” warned Michael. “You should be honoured my brother has chosen to court you. Without him taking responsibility of you, you would most likely end up as one of the omega sex workers lining the streets at midnight. It’s not as though you have any financial or familial stability of your own to help you through life.”

Castiel blinked. Had Michael just implied Dean would become a prostitute if he didn’t have anyone to look after him? He thought about Dean’s fist to his jaw. The omega seemed quite capable of handling himself, and it wasn’t as if he was unintelligent; surely, he’d find a job somewhere that didn’t involve prostitution?

“And you would do well to watch your mouth, _alpha_ ,” growled Dean. “And for your information, I would gladly choose prostitution over being your brother’s mate. Heck, I’d rather drill a hole through my head than have anything to do with your brother and his family.”

Michael tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Yet I see you’re taking advantage of his money. Although I would expect nothing less from your sort.”

“ _’My sort’_?” Seethed Dean, clenching his fists. “You say that as though you’re better than me. Do you honestly think being an alpha with wealth makes it so you can look down upon people around you? Are you seriously that bigoted? Are you really so far removed from society that you think everyone around you are peasants with no hope of a future?” He snorted. “Maybe you’re just stupid.” 

Michael stiffened before glancing to Castiel through his mirror.

“You have a lot of work to do in shaping this one into a civilised omega. I express my apologies for the struggles you’re about to face,” he said solemnly, completely ignoring Dean. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met an omega so crude and vulgar.”

“Hey, you’re no Prince Charming yourself, knothead,” spat Dean and that got a reaction from Michael. 

“I’m going to stop this vehicle and you are going to step outside and apologise to both Castiel and myself. Then you will bow your head in shame as you face a suitable punishment like any obedient omega would.”

Castiel’s eyes widened. He knew Michael would follow through on his promise and it was likely Dean was about to face a bruised face in a few moments.

“Did you just threaten me?” Asked Dean in disbelief before snorting and glancing at Castiel distastefully. “No wonder you’re so messed up; you’ve got a real winner of a brother here. A true role model,” he mocked. “You’re almost on your way to being a clone of him.”

The car began to slow as it veered to the side of the road and Castiel gulped at Michael’s furious expression. Dean would definitely be bleeding by the end of this.

Either the omega hadn’t taken Michael’s threat seriously or he had just assumed the alpha wouldn’t bother following through, because his eyes widened slightly when he registered they were coming to a halt and a brief look of fear flashed over his face, before his bitter smirk was back in place.

“Apologise,” commanded Michael lowly and when Dean turned away disinterestedly, the alpha scowled.

“Out of the car.”

Dean tensed when Michael undid his seatbelt. “I could report you to the police,” he said. “This is assault.”

Michael didn’t bother replying as they all knew the Novak family could (and had in the past) pay the entire force off to keep the whole ordeal a secret.

“Out of the car,” Michael said again and this time, panic flitted over Dean’s expression as he realised what he’d got himself into.

Michael wrapped his fingers around the door handle and Castiel hurriedly interrupted.

“That’s enough, Michael,” he murmured. “He’s right. It’s no less than I deserve.”

Dean froze in surprise and Michael paused to scowl at his brother.

“He’s acting purposefully rebellious. He has to learn his place.”

“I don’t wish for him to be harmed,” muttered Castiel and his brother frowned in frustration.

“He’s behaving inappropriately. He should treat you with respect, not contempt. He needs to learn.”

Castiel’s hard gaze caught his brother’s.

“You _will not_ raise your hand to him.”

Michael’s lips parted as if wanting to protest, but he pressed them close again, possibly from shock of being rebuffed by his little brother, and turned the ignition back on.

They restarted their journey in a heavy silence. 

After a couple of minutes, Castiel glanced over to Dean to find the omega staring at him in bewilderment. There also seemed to be a mixture of relief and the barest hint of gratitude lying behind those emerald eyes, but Dean averted his gaze before Castiel got a chance to analyse it.

Castiel returned his attention to his lap.

 

* * * 

 

Reaching the concert hall was a challenge. There were lots of drunk adults stumbling around and lots of people shoving past one another to get to toilets, tills and friends. All in all, it was chaos and Castiel was way out of his depth in such a noisy and crowded place.

Michael hadn’t spoken to Castiel as he and Dean had vacated the car and the alpha had a feeling he was in for a scolding when he returned home, but right now all he cared about was sticking close to Dean.

The moment the omega had walked into the building, his eyes had brightened. He was in his element here and every movement, every sound, every smell seemed to excite him further. 

In any other circumstance, it would have amused Castiel to see the snarky omega so filled with uncharacteristic, child-like wonder, but as it was, the alpha had no idea where he was going or what he was doing and Dean just kept ploughing through sweaty bodies like a man on a mission. Castiel had to jog to keep up.

He saw the omega’s gaze flicker to the snack stand once, but frankly, the pungent smell of drunk, rowdy alphas and horny omegas who draped themselves over their boyfriends or girlfriends with not-completely-sober smirks etched onto their faces scared him.

These weren’t the types of people he was used to associating with and if he was honest, he was intimidated by their rowdiness.

They finally managed to make their way through the door to the concert hall and Castiel gulped at its size. There were thousands of people gathered here, some standing and yelling in the centre whilst other laughed and chatted in their seats.

Castiel was horrified when Dean made a beeline for the pit in front of the stage.

“Can’t we sit a little higher up?” Asked Castiel quietly, hoping to stay away from the cloud of pheromones wafting throughout the hall, and Dean snorted.

“You got tickets for the mosh pit.”

Castiel’s eyes widened. _Mosh pit?_ That sounded dangerous.

Dean flashed the tickets at a guard who was standing at a gap in a metal, pen-like structure Castiel was convinced was originally used to hold cattle. The guard nodded and allowed them both through and Castiel shrunk in on himself at the number of people yelling profanities around them, sloshing their drinks around as they took selfies and made disgusting gestures with their tongues.

The floor was sticky with a mixture of fluids he couldn’t bear to think about and a big, leather-clad alpha with hundreds of tattoos decorating his body stumbled into Castiel, shoving his shoulder hard to get past him and the younger alpha staggered backwards with a grimace. 

An omega in her late forties, with provocative clothing and ridiculously bright make up, winked at Castiel and the alpha gasped before rushing after Dean.

He was sure Dean chuckled at him, but he was too busy expressing his utter horror at his surroundings to notice. He didn’t even realise the omega had slowed his pace so they were nearly brushing one another.

“You look like you’ve just seen something that wants to eat you,” commented Dean and Castiel couldn’t take his eyes of the gang of betas playing drinking games with a pitcher of something that looked radioactive. One man took a swig of it, passed it to his friend and promptly collapsed, his friends roaring with laughter.

“I’m half convinced seventy percent of these people would try if given the chance,” he responded, mortified and Dean released a startled laugh.

Suddenly, the lights faded until Castiel could barely see two feet in front of him and a cacophony of cheers and whistles and foot stomping greeted his ears. 

“Dude,” Dean protested, but he sounded partly amused and Castiel realised with burning embarrassment that he was gripping Dean’s arm with a force that would probably leave marks.

“Apologies,” mumbled Castiel as he slowly let go.

The stage was lit with an eerie red light and a man with two sticks leapt onto stage, wielding them like katanas and the crowd roared with screams and whistles once more.

A bearded, burly alpha knocked into Castiel, spilling his drink over him accidentally and Castiel shuddered at the stench. He looked over himself in dismay, reasoning that it had probably been a bad idea to dress in a waistcoat and tie for an event like this and the alpha behind him placed a hand on his sticky shoulder.

“Woah, sorry, man,” he said sincerely even though it was clear this wasn’t his first drink. His eyes roamed over Castiel’s body. “Hey, nice suit.”

Castiel blinked. That… hadn’t been what he’d expected.

He’d thought the man would blame him for losing half his drink and possibly knock him to the floor for being in his way but the other alpha seemed friendly and apologetic. It was rather strange.

“…Thanks,” Castiel said eventually. “And don’t worry about it.” He didn’t want to go picking any fights here.

The alpha smiled kindly and patted him on the shoulder.

“Very polite. You’re a good kid.” And with that he stepped back, allowing Castiel some room.

Castiel raised an eyebrow. He’d never really been complimented by anyone outside his family or their social circles. For some reason, this felt more meaningful.

“Might wanna take your jacket off,” said Dean quietly and Castiel was relieved to find his waist coat was the only wet part of him.

A deafening beat started up and Castiel jumped at the first smack of the bass drum, wringing a snicker from Dean.

More band members bounced onto stage and Castiel was surprised to find they were fairly mature, older than his parents at least.

After more ear-shattering cheers, the stage lights dimmed and a sole spot light homed in on the bassist.

The crowd fell nearly silent in anticipation and a unique sound flew from the fingertips of the man holding the instrument. The crowd was in uproar once more but soon settled down to listen to the music.

The drum joined the riff enthusiastically and so did the guitar and keyboard before a gravelly voice growled down the microphone:

_“Once upon a time, not so long ago…”_

Finally, the lead vocals of Jon Bon Jovi him himself blasted through the speakers.

_“Tommy used to work on the docks…”_

Castiel startled when he realised the rest of the crowd was singing along and he found himself smiling. There was something incredibly uplifting about hearing thousands upon thousands of people, all from different parts of the country, at different ages and of varying races, belting their lungs out, preaching about love and staying together when times grew hard. It was all highly amusing and Castiel couldn’t help but grin when he noticed Dean was joining in, singing slightly off-key but still enjoying himself with the widest smile Castiel had ever seen him wearing.

And actually, the music wasn’t all that bad.

Silently, Castiel returned his focus back to the stage, listening to the articulation of the bass and the perfect timings of the drum. He listened to the complexity of the lead guitar and the heavy chords of the keyboard. It was very different to the delicate melodies of the symphonies he usually listened to and he knew he’d never played anything so bass-rich in his orchestra before.

By the fifth song, he was entranced.

There were no lilting flute solos or dramatic string sections, but there was a strong beat, a rhythmic bass and some satisfying chordal accompaniments with the odd electric guitar solo thrown in seemingly randomly, and the lyrics told a story you could get lost in.

Each song was different too, pulling different emotions and memories from the audience as each instrument had its own turn to create a certain atmosphere, with tempos and keys altering from song to song. Some were slow, some were fast and Castiel had never realised this was how rock music could sound.

Why hadn’t he been introduced to it sooner?

The gig ended far too soon and as people slowly dispersed out of the hall, some supporting their friends yet still smiling, Castiel caught the alpha who had bumped into him earlier waving goodbye to him.

He waved back with a small smile of his own and the alpha grinned and left with his girlfriend, who waved at him also.

…Maybe the people who attended these concerts were alright too. 

“You got backstage passes, right?” Asked Dean and Castiel nodded, following the omega’s lead once more. 

Another guard checked their tickets and the pair were shown into a waiting room with seven other people, each looking as nervous and excited as Castiel was suddenly feeling. He was about to meet Jon Bon Jovi and although he’d never listened to his music previously, the butterflies in his stomach were similar to those he’d experienced whilst meeting famous maestro André Rieu.

He wondered if the members of the band were as crude and uncaring as Jo and Dean (and his parents when he had asked if he could buy the tickets) had made them out to be. He’d already been surprised enough times today to not assume anything.

The small group were called into the artists’ changing rooms and both Dean and Castiel raised their eyebrows at the setting.

It was all very… sedate. The rockers were chatting amiably, drinking what appeared to be brandy as they lounged on some very plush-looking couches. There was no shouting or drugs or inappropriate behaviour, just a group of friends socialising after an exhausting day.

The lead singer smiled tiredly at the group.

“Hey,” he greeted softly, eyes warm and inviting. “Come in. Make yourself at home.”

Dean walked over to the singer in awe, shaking his hand and thanking him for his music, so Castiel took the opportunity to look around. His eyes landed on the band’s pianist, who was sitting at an old upright piano, fiddling with a few of the keys as he sipped at his drink.

When he spotted Castiel watching him, he gave a little wave and motioned him over.

“David Bryan,” the older beta introduced, offering his hand.

“Castiel,” replied the alpha, shaking the long fingers and David grinned.

“Pleasure to meet you, Castiel. You play?”

Castiel nodded and David gestured to the keys. “Have a go.”

“I only know classical,” murmured Castiel almost regretfully. That would have to change after today.

David smirked and settled himself on the stool, and Castiel’s eyes widened when the beta played the first few chords of Beethoven’s _'Fifth symphony'_.

“Like that?” He chirped cheekily and Castiel’s face must have been amusing because the beta chuckled.

“Classically trained,” he explained. “I played all of Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Strauss and loads more European-sounding names before I started rocking out on keyboard. Sometimes I wish I’d carried on actually.”

Castiel quirked a smile and the beta winked. “You keep slogging it out with Czerny and you’ll go further than I ever will. Want to play something for me?”

Castiel nodded hesitantly as his heart fluttered with nervousness. David stepped away from the piano, making himself comfortable on one of the beanbag chairs beside the instrument. He took a sip of his brandy and gave the alpha the thumbs up.

Castiel contemplated what he should play for a few minutes before coming to a decision on the third movement of Beethoven’s _‘Moonlight Sonata’_ and when he was finished, he noticed the whole room had fallen silent, all the band members gazing at him in awe as some of the fans who’d paid for backstage passes watched him with envy.

Dean was gaping at him and Castiel had never felt so proud at having impressed someone.

David coughed to diffuse the silence. “Well… I stand corrected. You’re already better than me.”

A few of the band members snorted in amusement and Jon shook his head in amazement.

“He’s better than all of us.”

Castiel ducked his head, humbled by the praise. He couldn’t remember the last time someone outside his family had complimented him for his talents. To have such great musicians speak so highly of him was unbelievable and frankly, now he had the praise, he didn’t know what to do with it.

“Thank you,” he mumbled sincerely and David’s gaze softened.

“Don’t shy away from a compliment, Castiel. Embrace it; you’ve certainly earned it with all the work you've put in to play at that level.”

Castiel nodded appreciatively before offering the beta a small smile and the two continued to chat for a while, David laughing wholeheartedly when he learned that not only had it been Castiel’s first time listening to their music, but his first time listening to rock.

The rest of the band laughed too, but Castiel didn’t feel put out by it. They weren’t condescending and he was glad to have made them smile. Even Dean was grinning at him.

…Dean had a really warm smile. Castiel had never truly noticed how inviting it was before.

Eventually, the rockers began to grow weary and when a few of the other concert goers started to leave, Dean approached Castiel.

“Your brother’s probably waiting for us,” murmured Dean and Castiel had nearly forgotten his brother was supposed to be arriving at midnight to pick them up.

He checked his watch and his eyes widened. How was it approaching one in the morning already?

“Right,” said Castiel with a grimace as he checked his phone. Twenty-seven missed calls from Michael, the first one at midnight.

He was in a lot of trouble.

They made their way out of the changing room, thanking the band and wishing them the best for the future, and they received some answering thankyous and a shout from David for Castiel to _“Keep practising”_. 

After a few minutes, Dean glanced at the alpha oddly.

“So… it looked to me as though you actually enjoyed that,” the omega said cautiously and Castiel met his gaze.

“I did,” he answered truthfully. “I’ve never listened to music like that before and it’s admittedly rather interesting.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Interesting?”

“I’m used to classical music,” clarified Castiel and Dean smirked triumphantly about something. He elected to ignore it. “The atmosphere here is very different to the orchestra concerts I play in. It’s refreshing to see people so enthusiastic about music. There’s so much excitement and appreciation and encouragement for the musicians. You don’t tend to get that at classical concerts as it’s considered poor manners to make sound whilst the musicians are performing. The band are very kind and soft-spoken. I didn’t think they’d be so encouraging and receptive to their fans, but they are.”

Dean nodded in acknowledgement. “And the music itself?”

“I liked it,” Castiel admitted. “I didn’t think I would, but it’s beautiful in its own way. There are so many different emotions and meanings behind the words and melodies and the progressions are far more complex than I initially gave them credit for.” 

With a small, amused smile, Dean led Castiel out of the building and somehow between the exit and the car park, they were separated by a gaggle of drunken alphas in their late thirties staggering out of a nearby bar.

When Castiel reached the car park, he frowned upon realising Dean was no longer with him.

“Hey, sweet boy, why don’t you bend over and show us that pretty hole of yours?” Came a slurred voice and Castiel stiffened as he turned around and his gaze landed on Dean being backed into a wall by half a dozen intoxicated alphas.

“Back off,” growled Dean. “You can’t see straight and I’m not interested.” He tried to push past them but they crowed with laughter and grabbed his arm.

“Oooo… feisty,” one jeered as his hands wandered to Dean’s hips. “I love ‘em with a bit of spunk.”

Dean slapped his hands away. “And you have a wedding ring. Want to explain to your mate why you’ve been molesting minors?”

“What did you say about my mate?” Snarled the alpha, glazed eyes telling Dean he could only hear about fifty percent of what anyone was telling him.

The omega shook his head in disgust. “Look, just get off me.”

“But we don’t want to,” pouted another alpha. “We’re horny and it’s boring going home to an empty house. Come on, just one round? We’ll pay.”

Dean screwed his face up. “I’m not a cheap hooker. Now let me go before I start throwing punches.”

There were a few snickers and a couple of mocking _‘oooo’s’_ and Dean yelped when he was thrown against a wall, his face smashed into it as hands skirted over his hips and up his shirt, dancing over bare flesh and making him shudder.

His eyes blew wide when one of the alphas tugged at his belt sloppily, clearly attempting to undo it and he struggled against the palms keeping him pinned to the wall.

“Think he’ll be able to take two of us?” One alpha asked, words stumbling over one another and his friend shrugged lopsidedly.

“Might as well try it. He definitely looks bigger than a normal omega.”

“Smells really good,” another alpha piped up. “Can’t wait to stick my knot in that warm, wet hole.”

Dean struggled a little harder but to no avail. The alphas finally worked out that his belt buckle was at the front rather than the back and their hands slipped around his waist.

One alpha began to slowly rut against his jeans.

Dean was suddenly very afraid.

But then, the weight was removed from his back and an alpha screamed in pain.

Since his hands were still pinned, Dean turned his head to find Castiel driving his fist into the alpha’s already bloodied nose. It appeared to be broken.

“Leave him alone,” he spat as he punched the other alpha’s gut and the sluggish brains of the older men trying to catch up with what was going on was all Dean needed to throw off the two alphas pinning him.

Eventually though, their brains did catch up and Castiel cried out when one threw a fist at his stomach. The younger man doubled over, clutching his belly and the attacker smashed his knuckles against Castiel’s face, splitting his lip.

Another alpha approached Castiel from the side and punched him in the eye, and Castiel yelled as he felt a few blood vessels pop.

He was kicked to the floor and one alpha raised a foot over his face, about to stamp on it when Dean ploughed into him. Dean quickly turned to the second alpha and aimed his foot at his crotch and the older man let out a sob as he collapsed to the floor, holding his sensitive parts.

The remaining alphas looked furious as they charged the young teens and Dean hauled Castiel to his feet and threw him behind him before raising his fists.

He threw a few accurate blows to their faces before kicking at their legs and pelvises to slow them down, but he didn’t escape unscathed and before they managed to knock him out, he grabbed Castiel’s arm and dragged him towards the car park, desperately searching for the familiar white Bentley.

The alphas half-limped, half-ran after the pair, but the teens were quicker and they spotted the car before the drunk men could catch up. Dean practically shoved Castiel into the car before diving in himself and he slammed the door before shouting for Michael to _“Drive, drive, drive!”_

The older alpha scowled and opened his mouth to berate the insolent omega, but then he saw the group of alphas heading towards them with planks of wood they’d apparently acquired and was that… a brick? 

He forced the car into gear and sped away, both teens groaning quietly in the back as they inspected their injuries.

 

* * *

 

Michael was livid. 

After Castiel had grated out what had happened, he had immediately barked insult after insult to Dean for getting them both into such a dangerous situation. Dean and Michael had been arguing for thirty minutes straight and Castiel was developing a headache.

“And not only are you unforgivably rude and foul-mouthed towards me and my brother, but you parade yourself around, inviting alphas for a quick knot and in the process, nearly get my little brother killed! Are you always this suicidal or were you born stupid?” Michael seethed and Dean growled at him.

“You think I wanted them to rape me?” He hissed. “I did nothing to encourage them. And Castiel didn’t have to rush to my rescue. It’s not like I forced him.”

Castiel frowned. Maybe not, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch something like that happen to anybody, regardless of gender. And he certainly wouldn’t abandon them.

“He should have left you,” snarled Michael. “Maybe then you’d have learned something.”

Castiel bristled. 

“Michael!” He snapped before he could stop himself and both his brother and Dean jumped at the tone.

“Dean’s the victim. Stop treating him as though he’s to blame. He did nothing wrong.”

Dean’ mouth fell slightly slack and Michael’s face darkened.

“Castiel…” he warned, but the younger alpha had had enough of all the fighting.

“No. Those alphas were intoxicated and for all we know they could have harassed _me_ if Dean hadn’t been accompanying me. It’s not his fault. I may have distracted them long enough to allow Dean to escape, but he saved my life tonight. I was on the floor and those men had no qualms about shattering my skull, yet Dean pulled them away from me and then threw me behind him as he fought the others.

“He protected me, Michael. Not only did he save my life, but he protected me too. And _he_ was the victim,” huffed Castiel. “So don’t tell him he needs to learn his place and don’t call him _‘disobedient’_ or _‘stupid’_ or any other degrading adjective that pops into your head.”

Honestly, Castiel was still shaken by the whole affair. One minute he’d been enjoying himself and he and Dean had finally been conversing without hostility and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor about to have his head crushed.

He’d been in school fights before, but there had never been a possibility of death.

He just wanted to go to bed. And maybe thank Dean for saving him.

Michael snapped his mouth shut and his expression was stony as he trained his eyes on the road, and Castiel knew the older alpha would never drive him anywhere again.

They arrived back at the library in tense silence and Castiel frowned slightly. After what had happened tonight, he really didn’t think it wise to let Dean limp home alone.

“We can’t just- ”

“Cas, it’s okay,” cut in Dean softly as he made to get out of the car. “Uh… thanks for tonight. Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoyed myself.”

“Dean,” protested Castiel quietly. “You can’t walk home from here. You’re injured and it’s late. We can take you home.”

“No, we can’t,” interrupted Michael, curtly. “Close the door, _omega._ ”

Castiel scowled and was about to argue but Dean merely sighed and did as asked, leaving the younger, shocked alpha to watch him fade into the distance as the car sped away.

As soon as Dean was out of sight, Michael started yelling at his brother and Castiel closed his eyes exhaustedly as he tried to tune him out.

It was much later, when he was tucked up in bed and beginning to drift off to sleep, did Castiel realise Dean had given him a nickname.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started writing this chapter and apparently couldn't stop. Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Oh! For anyone who wants to hear what Castiel played:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zucBfXpCA6s


	9. The mistake

Dean couldn’t stop thinking about the previous evening. 

He’d told Crowley everything, of course; there was no point in keeping secrets in a relationship and it’s not like he and Castiel were having an affair. In fact, Dean had originally only taken the blue-eyed alpha with him to make him uncomfortable.

Except… that’s not what had happened.

Castiel had actually enjoyed himself and shockingly enough, so had Dean. At first it had been hilarious to watch the alpha twitch at every smell, every sound, every sight, but as the concert progressed, Dean had noticed Castiel growing quieter and quieter and he had realised the alpha was almost entranced by the music. 

He’d studied Castiel’s face for a few moments and was surprised to find delight in his eyes. The alpha had been smiling almost secretively, a tiny quirk of lips Dean would have missed if he hadn’t been so close to the alpha and the omega had been struck by how pleasant Castiel could be when he wasn’t behaving like a prejudiced knothead. 

He’d never realised how talented Castiel was either. His piano skills were incredibly impressive and Jon Bon Jovi had asked Dean if he was proud of having such an accomplished pianist as a friend. Dean had wanted to say that he and Castiel weren’t friends, but he realised how odd that may have sounded considering they were at a concert together.

Not to mention Castiel had defended him on three separate occasions; when Michael threatened to punish him, when those alphas had him cornered and once again, when Michael was blaming him for getting them both attacked. 

Dean had been completely taken off guard when the other teen had tried to protect him against those alphas. He didn’t like to think what could’ve happened if Castiel hadn’t distracted them for as long as he had and he shivered as he wondered how the alphas would have reacted if they’d have found out his body hadn’t adapted yet to fit his omega status. Would they still have taken him against his will if they had found out he didn’t have a _‘warm, wet hole’_?

It didn’t matter. The point was Castiel had saved him even though he had no reason to and Dean wasn’t sure what that meant. He would have passed it off as some alpha machismo, but the way Castiel had yelled at his brother for stating he should have left Dean with the older men told him it wasn’t anything to do with that. 

He wasn’t sure what to do with that information either. Was Castiel actually not as immoral and prejudiced as he had originally believed?

Dean had a feeling Castiel didn’t usually argue with his family and the fact that he had stood up for Dean had obviously stunned Michael. It was a relief to have someone on his side after such a terrifying experience and Dean had wanted to thank the alpha, but Michael’s presence prevented him from doing so.

Now he was contemplating whether or not to talk to Castiel at school, even if it was just to thank him for the previous evening.

“Everything alright, darling?” Asked a husky yet kind voice and Dean found himself smiling as he turned to face Crowley.

“Yeah. Just wondering whether I should thank Castiel for last night.”

Crowley shrugged. “It’s none of my business what goes on between you two. Do what you think is best.”

Dean grinned. Crowley was very understanding.

“He did defend me.”

“He did,” hummed Crowley in agreement. 

“It’s only manners to thank him, right?”

“It is.”

Dean nodded. “Thanks,” he smiled before leaning over to peck him lightly on the cheek. “Be back in a minute.” 

Crowley quirked his lips at him before Dean pushed away from the table and made his way over to Castiel and his friends.

His face dropped however, when Ruby and Alistair smirked at him.

“Hey, sweet boy, why don’t you bend over and show us that pretty hole of yours?” Taunted Alistair and Dean paled as Castiel whipped around to face Alistair in horror.

Some hissed words were exchanged between the two alphas, but as Castiel turned to face Dean, he looked disturbed and some of his friends were grinning slyly at one another as others winked or made phallic gestures at Dean.

Dean’s face hardened. Castiel had told them.

“And here I was thinking you were a half-way decent person,” growled Dean, crossing his arms as he glared at Castiel. “But hey, at least you tell tasteful jokes,” he mocked before shooting a disgusted glance at Alistair.

“Wait, Dean,” began Castiel. “I wasn’t- ”

“Shut it,” snarled Dean. “I don’t want to hear it.” And with that he began to walk away.

“Oooo… feisty. I love ‘em with a bit of spunk,” called Uriel and Dean ducked his head when a few students looked over at him curiously.

He felt humiliated and betrayed. He had trusted Castiel wouldn’t tell anyone what had happened and here he was ridiculing Dean behind his back to his friends. Soon the whole school would know.

He jerked in surprise when something gripped his arm and he whirled to face a wide-eyed Castiel.

He scowled and yanked his arm out of the alpha’s hold.

“Get away from me,” he hissed and Castiel’s face fell.

“Dean, this wasn’t supposed… I didn’t know they were going to say those horrible things.”

“Then why did you tell them?” Seethed Dean. “As if it wasn’t humiliating enough to be pinned to a wall and molested by half a dozen drunk, middle-aged alphas, now the whole school is going to start asking questions about it!”

Castiel shook his head. “They… they asked me why I didn’t go out with them last night. I told them where I was and they started asking what happened. I… I just told them the truth.”

Dean deflated slightly. Castiel sounded confused and mortified and apologetic all at once and Dean was beginning to realise maybe the alpha’s intentions weren’t as malicious as they seemed.

“You don’t… tell people things like that,” he bit out. “Especially not people like Alistair and Uriel.”

Castiel frowned. “But they’re my friends.”

Dean sighed. “I know… but what happened last night… it’s a sensitive subject. Imagine if those alphas had succeeded in…” he trailed off, unable to think about it. “How do you think I would have reacted if I came in the next morning and your friends were using the exact same words that they had?”

Castiel lowered his gaze in realisation.

“…I’m so sorry, Dean. I didn’t think they’d do that.”

Dean’s gaze softened. Castiel really was innocent in this. The alpha had no idea how much sick pleasure his so-called ‘friends’ took in taunting others.

He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s okay… just… don’t do it again.” He managed half a smile. “I actually came to thank you for standing up for me yesterday. Both against those alphas and your brother. So… thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”

Castiel worked up a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Strangely enough, I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I… I was wrong about you. You’re more adept at taking care of yourself than I gave you credit for.” He huffed out a soft laugh. “Actually, you’re better at taking care of me than I am of myself.”

Dean found himself genuinely smiling and Castiel finally met his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Dean. Truly, I am. Not only for allowing my friends to say such abhorrent things, but also for acting as though you need protection just because you’re an omega.” He closed his eyes regretfully.   
“When I heard the things my brother said to you… I realise some of my own words are very similar. I refer to omegas as being lower than me, sometimes objectifying them and to hear Michael tell you that you would’ve learned something from having those men…” He shook his head. “I don’t want to be one of those types of alphas who justify the attacker just because they’re an alpha, and I certainly don’t want to start victim blaming because of gender. That’s not right.”

His mouth drew into a thin, determined line.

“I don’t know if I’ve said anything else to offend you. I hope I haven’t but unfortunately, I don’t know. If I have, I’m sorry and I promise I’m going to try and stop speaking about omegas as if they’re less important than alphas.”

Dean blinked. Well, that was unexpected.

“Right,” he said, still stunned. “That’s… that’s good to hear.”

Castiel perked up a bit and Dean wasn’t sure what else to say.

Unfortunately, Alistair did.

“Hey, Novak. How much he is charging? Think he’ll be able to take two of us? I mean, he’s bigger than a normal omega,” he crowed from across the dining hall and when the table began to laugh, Castiel looked to Dean in muted horror.

The omega shuddered at the words, trying to get the images of intoxicated idiots out of his mind and he noticed Castiel cautiously reaching out to him.

Suddenly, there was an arm around his waist and a voice sneering “I don’t know, Alistair. Maybe you should ask your mother what the going rate is for two alphas at once. I think she said she charges more for three.”

Dean relaxed into Crowley’s side.

Alistair snapped his mouth shut as snickers echoed through the room. He wasn’t stupid; he knew not to get on the wrong side of Crowley. Castiel recoiled and stood a little straighter as Crowley eyed him.

“I didn’t think you’d stoop so low, Novak,” commented Crowley in distaste. “Never realised rape jokes were your style.”

Castiel’s eyes widened. “I… I never…”

“Next time I catch you or your ‘friends’ harassing Dean, there will be consequences,” murmured Crowley threateningly and Castiel pursed his lips unhappily. 

“I didn’t ask them to say those horrible things.”

“Really?” Crowley drawled as he raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Well, you must have told them something, unless they accompanied you to the concert last night?”

Dean gently nudged Crowley’s side.

“Woah, slow down. Cas didn’t do anything wrong. He was apologising to me just then.”

Crowley frowned slightly and Cas blinked at the nickname, but neither of the mentioned it and Dean didn’t know he’d used it.

“You’re sure about that?” Asked Crowley, glancing over at Alistair. “Sounds to me like he discussed last night’s proceedings with those idiots in great detail.” He shot a glare at Castiel and the blue-eyed alpha’s mouth drew into a thin line.

“It… it was an accident,” sighed Dean. He really didn’t want to have to break up a stupid alpha stand-off. “He honestly didn’t think they’d behave like that.”

“What? Their winning personalities and past noble actions didn’t give it away?” Sneered Crowley and Castiel scowled.

“I will speak to them. It will not happen again.”

“ _Sure,_ ” snorted Crowley and Castiel narrowed his gaze.

“Please refrain from belittling my friends.”

“Please refrain from ridiculing anyone who’s different from you and mocking those who you deem weaker than yourself,” Crowley shot back without missing a beat and he squeezed Dean’s hip pointedly.

Castiel hesitated, a mixture of guilt and confusion crossing his face and Dean sighed silently. The alpha really didn’t know when he was upsetting people.

“Alright, guys. Knock it off. Posturing isn’t going to solve anything,” he said when he smelled Crowley’s scent becoming threatening and defensive. “Crowley, c’mon. Leave him be. He said he’s sorry. What’s done is done.”

Crowley bit back a growl. “If he or his friends mock you again, they _will_ suffer.”

Castiel stiffened and Dean readied himself to break up a fight between the two hot-headed alphas, but Castiel took him by surprise by closing his eyes with a sigh.

“Once again, I can’t express how sorry I am. My intention was not to humiliate you.”

Crowley snorted in disbelief and Dean shot him a glare.

“It’s… it’s okay. Just… stop talking about it,” the omega murmured and Castiel nodded solemnly.

“As you wish, Dean.”

Crowley rolled his eyes and retreated back to his table and Dean made to follow him but a hand caught his jacket.

“Wait, let me make it up to you,” said Castiel quietly so no one could hear what they were discussing. “Allow me to buy you and Sam tickets to any movie you’ve been desperate to watch.”

Dean frowned and was about to refuse when Castiel’s expression fell into something that reminded him of Sam’s puppy-dog eyes.

“Please,” pleaded Castiel. “Let me apologise by taking you to the cinema.”

“I’m with Crowley,” Dean murmured firmly but Castiel shook his head.

“I’m not trying to court you. You’ve made your answer clear and there is little point in me trying to pursue you when we barely know each other and you’re already in a relationship. I’m trying to be friendly after treating you so poorly these past couple of years. So please? Let me take you and your brother to the cinema?”

Dean’s brain had to reboot. Who was this alpha and what had they done with Castiel?

Still, it would be nice to be able to go to the cinema again with Sam. They didn’t get many opportunities to have fun with each other and since Castiel was so willing to offer his services and money…

“Fine,” said Dean, voice still low in case anyone tried to eavesdrop. “Saturday night at seven. Meet us outside the library.”

Castiel nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips and Dean wasted no more time in joining his boyfriend on the other side of the room.

This time, when Castiel’s friends begged him to tell them what Dean had said, the alpha remained silent.

 

* * *

 

Castiel was treading on thin ice with his family. Since the previous evening, Michael had informed their parents and brothers of Castiel’s ‘unacceptable behaviour’ and his bruised face provided more evidence for Michael’s story. 

Once again, Naomi, Zachariah, Michael, Raphael and Castiel were seated around the dining table and the youngest alpha tried to lower his head so his bruises weren’t as visible. His eye ached from where one of the alphas had smashed their fist into it and he knew it was highly bloodshot. He didn’t want to look up to see the disapproving and disgusted faces of his parents and brothers, so he ate in silence with his head bowed.

He didn’t regret his actions though. He couldn’t have stood by and watch Dean be used by those alphas and he was glad the omega hadn’t suffered through the emotional and psychological trauma that would have brought about. He was also of the opinion that Michael’s attitude towards Dean had been appalling and he would have informed his parents of what the older alpha had said, but he had a sinking suspicion that they wouldn’t care or might even agree with their eldest son’s words.

So, he kept his mouth shut and nodded his head obediently whenever his parents scolded him or slipped a remark into a conversation that proved their disappointment in him. 

“Sit up straight, Castiel. You are not a six-year-old anymore, even if you do behave like it sometimes,” grumbled Zachariah and Castiel did as asked, lifting his gaze slightly.

Naomi clicked her tongue in distaste when she glanced at his purpling eye but said nothing more to him.

Michael glared at him from across the table and Castiel lowered his gaze again in shame. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever felt so humiliated and shunned by his family and he didn’t like how lonely it made him feel.

The whole family startled however, when Lucifer stormed into the dining room, phone almost being crushed in his palm and expression full of white-hot fury.

“She dumped me,” he seethed. “Meg dumped me.”

Naomi’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? Why?”

“Says she doesn’t love me,” he spat. “She doesn’t know why our souls reacted to one another at the start, but they’re not reacting anymore and she says she can’t stand me. Oh, and she’s been cheating on me for the past ten months,” he grated out, throwing his phone at the wall.

Zachariah watched its cracked screen hit the floor.

“That beta always did strike me as the type to sleep around. You’ve probably dodged a bullet, son. Who knows what sorts of disease that girl is carrying between her legs?”

Lucifer continued to glare at his phone, willing it to burst into flames.

“Three years wasted,” he hissed. “I could’ve been out knotting that sister of hers instead. The blonde one with the pretty face. Then we’d have been even.”

“That girl was too young for you anyway,” dismissed Naomi. “She was far too immature and… wild. You deserve someone similar to your brother’s mate.” She smiled fondly at Michael and the alpha shot her a proud look.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Right, yeah. I really want a fragile, stuck-up virgin who’s practically mute and follows me around like a lost mutt with her eyes glued to the floor.”

Castiel frowned into his dinner. He didn’t like anyone speaking ill of Anna. She was his friend and was always kind to him. 

Michael scowled and looked ready to interrupt, a growl bubbling in his throat, but Naomi beat him to the punch.

“Enough, Lucifer. I know you’re upset, but there is no need to take your anger out on us. Meg was an unsuitable choice and you have already informed us of your soul failing to react to her after a year of being together. You need to move on.”

“Besides, we can always make it so she can’t get a job in this town. Let’s see how long her latest relationship lasts then,” snorted Zachariah and Lucifer calmed a little at this.

Castiel hesitated. Personally, he’d never found anything wrong with Meg and the few times she had come to visit, Castiel had liked her sharp wit and bubbly personality. She was fun and although she could be rude at times, it never seemed malicious. She had seemed a good match for Lucifer and she had always made sure to chat to Castiel when he looked lonely or was left out of conversation due to his age, even if his parents and brothers didn’t approve of this behaviour.

To hear his family speaking so dismissively of Meg was a little disturbing, especially when they had plastered on polite grins and conversed so amiably with her whilst she was together with Lucifer. 

Sure, it wasn’t great of her to dump Lucifer by a phone call, but honestly, with the alpha’s fiery temper and tendency to shove her around whenever he didn’t get his way, was it any wonder she didn’t want to confront him face-to-face? The beta could definitely hold her own, but what was the point in risking it?

Castiel cut his lamb into smaller pieces as he listened to his family degrade and belittle Meg.

“You’ll find someone more suited to your tastes,” hummed Naomi encouragingly. “Maybe an omega this time? Someone who’s a little less vulgar and crude?”

Lucifer sighed and nodded and their mother smiled, pleased.

“Good. Now sit down, dear. Your dinner’s getting cold.”

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Castiel. What do you think of Meg and how she’s treated our poor brother?” Asked Michael, knowing full-well Castiel had always enjoyed her company and light teasing.

The youngest alpha refrained from glaring at his sibling. Michael was clearly trying to get him into more trouble, yet Castiel didn’t want to bad-mouth Meg when he didn’t think of her like that. 

Instead he kept his gaze low.

“I think Lucifer should find someone he feels a stronger connection to,” he said quietly, efficiently skirting around the topic and Michael narrowed his eyes, but said nothing more when their parents nodded in satisfaction.

“Well said,” murmured Zachariah and Castiel managed a small smile. At least he’d appeased his parents for the moment.

Lucifer huffed as he sat down and cut into his meat with a little too much force. 

“Well, I hope the abomination gets hit by a car.” 

Nobody protested as they continued their meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun game #2: Every time Castiel's family says something horrific or disgusting, give yourself a tattoo.


	10. 'Money isn't everything'

“You sure he’s gonna show?” Asked Sam sceptically and Dean pulled a face as he peered into the distance.

“Not really, but he said he’d be here and I suppose we should give him a chance.”

“He really saved you from all those alphas?” Asked Sam quietly and Dean gave his brother a half-hearted smile. 

Sam focused his gaze on the horizon once more.

They were surprised when Castiel finally appeared, not in a car, but jogging, looking slightly flustered and out of breath.

“Apologies for my tardiness, I had some difficulties in acquiring a ride from my family after last week’s… event,” the alpha panted and both Winchesters blinked at him.

“Did you… did you run all the way from your house to get here?” Asked Sam and Castiel tilted his head as if this was a strange question despite him living over seven miles away from the library.

“Yes,” he said simply before standing a little straighter. “I’m sorry, but I hope you don’t mind walking to the cinema.”

“…Why didn’t you just get a bus?” Asked Dean still stuck on the part where the alpha had jogged over seven miles to meet them. Castiel lowered his gaze sheepishly.

“I’ve never used public transport. I don’t know what to do,” he admitted and Sam and Dean shot each other a glance.

“…Right,” murmured Dean. “Of course you haven’t. Okay then, how about you come with us and we’ll show you what to do?”

Castiel looked up in surprise. “You’d really do that?”

Dean scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “It’s just a bus. ‘S not like we’re doing you a big favour.”

“You don’t have to help me at all,” the alpha pointed out and the Winchesters shared another look. Fair point.

“Whatever, man, just… we are not walking to the cinema,” huffed Dean as he searched his pockets for some spare change. Nothing. _Great._

Castiel watched both brothers fish in their jackets before holding out some bills.

“I have money, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Dean gaped at the hundred dollar bills for a few seconds before shoving at the alpha’s hands. 

“Put them away,” he hissed, eyes darting around them. “You’ll get mugged!”

Castiel looked at the money in confusion before slowly slipping it back into his pocket.

“I don’t think it’s gonna cost that much to get a ten-minute bus ride to the cinema,” commented Sam, holding back a snicker and Castiel nodded as if this was a big revelation.

“How much does it usually cost?”

“Few dollars?” Hummed Sam. “Like, five or six?”

Castiel blinked and Dean rolled his eyes.

“Alright, c’mon. Let’s go before the movie starts.”

When they finally hopped on the bus, Dean refused to admit how amusing it was to watch Castiel gaze around the grimy, old bus in wonder, similar to a child entering a candy store for the first time.

Sam was grinning the whole time and he even laughed when the other alpha pressed one of the ‘stop’ buttons curiously to see what it did. The trio earned a few dirty looks from the other passengers who deemed them trouble-makers.

Eventually, they arrived at the cinema and as they were walking over to the screen room, Castiel caught Sam and Dean glancing at the snack stands. He remembered Dean looking at the snack stand when they were at the concert and he briefly wondered if the brothers received many treats.

When Sam’s gaze lingered on the ice cream freezer, Castiel lightly tapped the younger boy on the shoulder.

“Which flavour is your favourite?”

Sam glanced over to the freezer longingly. “Cookie dough. I’ve only had it once but it tasted amazing.”

Castiel nodded and his gaze flicked over to Dean. 

“What would you like?” He asked and both Winchesters stared at him.

“Wait, you don’t have to buy us anything,” protested Sam and Castiel raised an eyebrow. 

“I have money. You don’t. Let me pay for you.”

And okay, he was correct, but both Winchesters stiffened at the blunt wording. Neither of them liked the implication they couldn’t go out without Castiel’s help.

“It’s fine,” grated out Dean as Sam frowned and moved to his side. “We don’t want your money.”

Castiel looked puzzled. “You’re using my money to pay for the tickets.”

Dean bristled. “Only because you practically begged me to. I would never have come in the first place if you hadn’t whined for me to accept your apology.”

Castiel frowned. “A moment ago, you seemed excited for the movie. Why are you being so defensive now?”

“Forget it,” snapped Dean. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Castiel narrowed his eyes. “And who are you to say what I will and won’t understand? Please enlighten me as to why me offering you ice cream is so threatening to you.”

Dean bit back a growl. “Because money isn’t everything! You act as though you can buy friendship and whilst I’m sure that’s how you got your current ‘friends’, it’s not how the real world works! You make friends through things you have in common with each other, like music tastes and books and hobbies. You don’t try to bribe them into liking you through buying them stuff.”

At Castiel’s lost look, Sam took pity on him.

“Buying gifts for people is great, but it’s got to be for the right reasons. It can be because you were thinking about a person and you wanted to show them you missed them, or it can be because you see something that reminds you of someone. You can even buy things because you just want to treat them, but buying something just because you want a person to like you isn’t the start of a great friendship. In fact, the other person is more likely to just use you and trick you into believing they enjoy your company because they want more stuff off you.”

Castiel contemplated this for a few moments before nodding slowly in understanding.

“…Then let me treat you,” he said uncertainly. “I want you to enjoy tonight and I think the movie would be enhanced by your favourite flavour of ice cream.”

Dean deflated slightly. The alpha was messed up and he had the most appalling brother Dean had ever met, but he was willing to learn and he wasn’t afraid to admit when he’d made a mistake, which baffled Dean to no end. He’d always believed Castiel to be an egotistical, prejudiced, cruel knothead, but it was clear things weren’t so simple.

In fact, compared to Michael, Castiel was an angel.

“Alright, fine,” huffed Dean and Castiel’s pleased smile was not adorable.

_It wasn’t._

Sam looked like the happiest puppy alive as he tucked into his ice cream when they sat down and Dean could almost see the tail wagging. The older Winchester chuckled softly and sat on Sam’s left since Castiel had taken his right.

The lights dimmed and the trio relaxed into their seats as the trailers rolled.

Then, an overgrown man and his wife sat in front of Sam and Dean, in two of the only available seats left and the youngest Winchester whined quietly as his view of the screen was completely blocked by the large man.

Castiel frowned at the couple before nudging Sam’s side.

“Want to swap?” He whispered and Sam’s eyes widened. 

“You’ll only be able to see half the screen.”

Castiel shrugged. “Better than you not being able to see any of it.”

Sam hesitated a little longer before nodding shyly. Afterall, he’d been extremely excited to watch _‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’_.

Castiel smiled kindly and Dean balked as he watched the older alpha sacrifice his seat.

“Thanks, Cas,” murmured Sam and Castiel grinned. Nicknames seemed to be a Winchester special whenever someone was nice to them. It was rather endearing.

“No problem,” he whispered back and he turned to find Dean staring at him in shock.

The omega quickly whipped back around to face the screen and Castiel couldn’t help the small smile gracing his face. The gratitude may have been unspoken but Castiel had caught it loud and clear.

The film began to play and Castiel settled into his seat.

Twenty minutes into the film, the couple in front of Castiel and Dean left and Castiel was finally granted full view of the screen. He was so engrossed in the plot and the beautiful creatures within it, he wasn’t paying attention to where he put his hand and as he moved to place it on the arm rest, he laid his arm over Dean's.

Their skin brushed and Castiel sucked in a silent breath at the tug of his soul towards Dean’s. It was stronger than last time.

They immediately recoiled from one another and Castiel mumbled out an awkward apology as he laced his fingers on his lap.

Their hands didn’t wander for the remainder of the evening.

 

* * *

 

They chatted about the film as they rode the bus back to the library and when they hopped out of the vehicle, they discussed the bus route Castiel would take to get back to his house. 

The Winchesters thanked the alpha for his hospitality and Sam also expressed his appreciation for Castiel giving up his seat for him. Just as they were about to part ways though, Dean caught the alpha by the shoulder.

“…It was a good night,” he murmured, not quite meeting Castiel’s gaze. “We really enjoyed it, so... thanks again.”

The omega paused, contemplating whether or not to reveal what he actually wanted to say.

“I know we said ‘money isn’t everything’, but I get that you’ve probably paid for everyone for everything throughout your whole life and I… I guess I wanted to show you what we mean when people say you don’t need money to have a good time,” Dean mumbled. “So, I was gonna take Sammy to the local rescue shelter next Saturday because he’s _obsessed_ with animals and I don’t know if it’s your thing, in fact, I don’t really know anything about you; you may hate animals, I don’t know, but I was wondering, and this is only if you want to, but I was wondering if you wanted to… come,” he trailed off lamely.

Castiel suddenly beamed at him and Dean found himself smiling back. The alpha had a warm smile.

“I love animals,” assured Castiel. “My parents refuse to take me to the shelter because they’re worried about what kind of diseases they carry.”

Sam snorted. “They don’t have any. They’re really well looked-after.”

Dean nodded in agreement. “So you’re in? You can meet us around lunchtime?”

Castiel nodded. “I can take the bus,” he said, looking really proud of himself for having worked out public transport and Sam and Dean couldn’t help but grin in fond amusement.

“Great. See you then,” chuckled Dean before turning away, Sam trailing after him.

The last words Castiel heard from the pair was Sam leaning in to whisper: _“He’s not so bad.”_

The alpha couldn’t stop smiling as he boarded the bus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd give you guys an extra chapter tonight :)
> 
> Also, you have no idea how hard it is for me, as an English girl, to remember in America, it's called a 'candy store' and not a 'sweet shop' XD


	11. A new face

“I knew this would happen,” John grumbled under his breath. “The second he presents as omega, he’s wet and begging for every alpha’s knot within a ten-mile radius. They’re even lining up at the door.”

Dean closed his eyes in humiliation as he heard his not-quite-sober father storm past his bedroom, muttering to himself. Crowley grimaced at the cruel words and the bed creaked as Crowley shifted to gently place his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“Ignore him,” the alpha murmured. “He’s shouldn’t say that about you.”

Dean sighed. “I’m a disappointing son. First I didn’t present when I was supposed to, then I turned out to be an omega when everyone expected an alpha. I’m not smart and I’ll never be as strong as an alpha. I’m not all that surprised by the things he says. Heck, I probably deserve it.”

Crowley frowned. “You shouldn’t think so little of yourself, Dean.”

The omega shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you’re not here to listen to me complaining. We’re supposed to be working on that History project, right?” Dean plastered on a smile and although the alpha’s concerned frown lingered a few moments longer, he eventually conceded defeat and nodded, letting Dean change the subject.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve been researching a few different mythologies and I was thinking we could maybe do the essay on a comparison of the different Trickster demigods scattered throughout different religions. I mean, there’s Kitsune, Hermes, Loki… different countries have their own beliefs and ideas on how Tricksters should behave and appear. It’s actually quite interesting,” explained Dean as he flicked through a ‘Myths and Legends’ book he’d borrowed from the library.

However, when a hand slid over his thigh it was clear Crowley wasn’t paying attention.

Dean flicked his gaze over to the alpha and found him smiling tenderly at him.

“You are quite beautiful, you know,” murmured Crowley and Dean flushed at the compliment, not really sure what to do with it. Crowley was very good at catching him off-guard.

“You’re very handsome,” mumbled Dean quietly, not knowing what else to say and the alpha chuckled warmly. 

“You should learn how to take a compliment. All this flustered muttering is endearing, but it doesn’t suit you.”

Dean lowered his gaze embarrassedly and was surprised when a hand tilted his chin up and lips pressed softly against his own.

Dean’s soul was twitching towards Crowley’s but the omega briefly mused how the pull wasn’t as strong as when he and Castiel had brushed hands in the cinema. He quickly dismissed the thought.

The pair pulled apart and Crowley gazed tenderly at Dean even though the omega couldn’t meet his eyes. 

“We really need to work on this essay,” stated Dean and Crowley cocked an amused smile. 

“We do,” he agreed and Dean made to pick up the fallen book only for Crowley’s hand to slip a little further up the inside of his thigh.

He paused for a second and the hand crept higher and Dean couldn’t help but spread his legs slightly, a grin tugging at his lips when kisses were peppered over his jaw.

He turned his head to let his mouth meet Crowley’s and the book tumbled to the floor when the alpha’s hand cupped Dean through his jeans. Dean kissed Crowley a little harder and the alpha smirked as he slowly began to rub the omega’s crotch. Their tongues tangled as Dean’s hands fluttered down Crowley’s sides and under the black blazer he never seemed to part with and soon, Dean’s back hit the mattress and Crowley was straddling him.

Dean gave in to the urge to rid the alpha of his suit and tie and he untucked Crowley’s shirt only for his breath to hitch when a hand slipped into his jeans.

“I don’t… I don’t have a… it’s not formed yet,” breathed Dean as Crowley stroked him and the alpha must have understood what he was trying to say because he nipped the omega’s lip teasingly.

“It’s okay. I’m not looking for that. I just want to touch you. Want to hear you relax.”

Dean groaned when Crowley gripped his erection and the omega wondered if it would feel this good when he finally developed his omega parts. Would Crowley tease him like he was doing now or would he just knot Dean straight away? He found himself oddly excited at either prospect.

Lips crushed against his and Dean tangled his fingers in Crowley’s hair, encouraging the alpha to be a little rougher in his movements and Crowley smirked against the omega’s mouth as he did something clever with his hand.

Dean’s back arched off the bed as a moan escaped his throat and Crowley nipped at his lip. The omega pushed his hands up Crowley’s shirt, nails scraping lightly at his back in approval as the alpha trailed kisses over his throat.

Dean closed his eyes when he felt Crowley suck a bruise into his skin and he smiled at the thought he belonged somewhere, to someone. 

How anyone could think that Crowley was cruel and cold-hearted was beyond Dean.

A few minutes later saw Dean curling into the alpha’s chest, warm and satisfied as Crowley wrapped his arms around him. Usually, Dean wouldn’t be caught dead behaving in such a stereotypical omega manner, but he felt as though he could let his guard down with Crowley. The alpha was gentle and considerate with him; such a stark difference to how he acted around others and Dean knew he could trust Crowley not to take advantage of him when he was allowing his omega instincts to take hold of his mind.

“We really do need to do that essay,” murmured Dean ten minutes later and Crowley chuckled softly into his hair before nodding. 

“Tell me more about these Tricksters.”

 

* * *

 

“Name’s Gabriel, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” introduced a short omega with golden hair and amber eyes that sparkled with no small amount of mischief. He brushed his lips across Naomi’s hand and bowed his head to Zachariah before glancing at the rest of the table.

“I’m honoured you invited me to dinner,” he said, a seemingly permanent smirk etched onto his features.

“Well, when we heard Lucifer had acquired a new romantic interest, we just had to meet you,” commented Naomi, looking over Gabriel warily. The omega acted polite and proper but there was something about him that seemed out of place in the traditional Novak household. Whether it was the knowing smirk, the calculating eyes or the way he wouldn’t quite stand close enough to Lucifer to make their relationship fully believable, the Novak family weren’t sure what to make of the omega.

Castiel didn’t particularly care. Lucifer had a certain charm about him that usually made his lovers dump him or flee the town in search of refuge and Gabriel would be no different. Meg had been the longest relationship Lucifer had ever held onto and even that had ended with Lucifer being dubbed a _‘psychotic brute’_. Gabriel would probably visit a total of five times before he either left Lucifer or fled the country.

Said blond alpha was watching Gabriel with a strange expression, fists clenched by his sides and mouth drawn into a thin line even as his eyes blazed with something that definitely didn’t look like happiness.

Gabriel paid no heed to him.

The family sat down at the dinner table, Lucifer courteously sliding Gabriel’s chair out for him like any good alpha would and the omega shot him a sly smirk that made Lucifer look away uncomfortably and Castiel cocked his head curiously.

A few minutes into the meal, Naomi broke the tense silence.

“So, Gabriel. How did you and Lucifer meet?” 

“Strip club,” replied Gabriel without missing a beat. “He paid for a private lap dance, things got a little steamy between us, he ripped my clothes off, our bodies collided and our souls exploded with passion.”

Zachariah choked on his beef, Michael dropped his fork, Raphael spit out his tea, Naomi’s eyes nearly dropped out of her skull and Castiel decided he liked Gabriel very, very much.

Gabriel suddenly hissed and Castiel had a feeling Lucifer had just stomped on his foot.

“He’s joking,” assured Lucifer. “He likes to shock. Desperate for attention, you see.”

Gabriel suddenly latched himself onto Lucifer’s arm, smirk sultry and voice a low purr as he circled his finger suggestively around where the alpha’s nipple lay under his shirt.

“And you were all too eager to give me yours that night, weren’t you, _alpha_?”

Lucifer’s face darkened as he shoved Gabriel away and the omega blew a kiss towards him.

“Quiet, _omega_ ,” the alpha growled and Gabriel nodded solemnly and returned his gaze towards his meal, bowing his head in the picture of omega subservience.

“Yes, alpha. Sorry, alpha. It won’t happen again, alpha.”

Lucifer closed his eyes to calm himself and Zachariah and Naomi shared a look as Michael and Raphael openly gaped at the golden-haired omega.

Castiel bit back a grin. Gabriel was even more fiery than Meg.

“Gabriel works at the restaurant I visited. I had a complaint about the food and demanded to see the chef. Gabriel came over to me, our hands brushed and our souls reacted. That’s it,” huffed Lucifer and the family relaxed slightly.

Gabriel snorted under his breath. “More like you were throwing a tantrum and didn’t like the idea of an omega answering back to you, so you grabbed my arm to get ready to ‘put me in my place’.”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes but Gabriel glared defiantly back and the alpha rumbled softly in warning.

The family were shocked when Gabriel growled right back.

Lucifer quickly returned to his meal and the rest of the family refused to speak for the remainder of dinner. Castiel glanced up at Gabriel curiously as he mused over the similarities between the feisty omega and a certain green-eyed Winchester. Whilst he was sure Gabriel wouldn’t be visiting the Novak house again (especially if his parents had anything to say about it after the omega’s stunning performance tonight), he briefly wondered if Gabriel would be willing to give him any insight as to why so many omegas seemed to act so defiant with members of the Novak family. Maybe if he understood that, he might stop making so many mistakes with Dean.

He realised Gabriel had noticed his staring and was watching him with a raised eyebrow and Castiel quickly flicked his gaze back to his dinner. He would talk to the omega later.

 

* * *

 

“You humiliated me!” Hissed Lucifer when he and Gabriel were alone in the lounge; the others clearing up after dinner.

“You need humiliating,” retorted Gabriel as he sprawled over the couch with a challenging smirk. “Or at least an attitude adjustment.”

Lucifer snarled. “I am your alpha!”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and sat upright. “You are my nothing. You don’t own me and I can do whatever I please. If you don’t like it, court someone else. Oh wait, you can’t. You scared everybody off.”

Lucifer stalked closer to the omega. “You should watch your tone with me, omega. Defiance will get you nowhere.”

“On the contrary, I think it’ll get you riled up,” growled Gabriel. “I think it’ll embarrass and degrade you so much that you’ll be begging me to leave you. But I won’t. Your other conquests may have dumped you, but don’t worry, I won’t. After what you did to my friend, Meg, I’m going to make sure you suffer.”

Lucifer clenched his fists. “How dare you!” He spat, eyes blazing with fury, and Gabriel leaped to his feet.

“You can do what you like to me, Lucifer, but I will make sure you pay for hurting her. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll have no friends, no dignity, no respect from anyone. Your family won’t ever want to talk to you again when I’m done and I can’t wait to see you sobbing in a jail cell, all alone and wondering how your life would’ve turned out if you’d have just been a decent person.”

Before Gabriel had time to blink, Lucifer had his hand wrapped around his throat.

“The only reason I am courting you is because tradition states I have to. You’re a potential soulmate and as such, I will treat you like all my other potential mates when we are in company. However, since you seem so determined to make my life difficult, I’m willing to return the favour. You think it’ll be me who’ll beg to end the relationship? My dear omega, I don’t beg. However, I do like a challenge, and whenever we’re alone I will prove to you just how much of a mistake you’re making in crossing me.”

Lucifer yelped when a foot slammed into his crotch.

“Try me,” Gabriel bit out as his neck was released and Lucifer looked ready to lunge at the omega when Castiel popped his head around the door.

“Apologies, am I interrupting?” Asked Castiel innocently. In truth, he’d heard the whole exchange from behind the door, but he didn’t want Lucifer to kill Gabriel when he hadn’t had an opportunity to ask him a few questions and with an attitude like that, Gabriel was doing a splendid job of making Lucifer want to hurt him.

“Not at all, kiddo,” chirped Gabriel before Lucifer had a chance to reply. “What can we do for you?”

Castiel offered the omega a small smile before glancing to Lucifer in silent question. Technically, Gabriel’s permission didn’t matter when Lucifer was present. He was the alpha in the relationship and he was older than Castiel, so Cas had to look to him for consent to enter the room.

Lucifer looked angry, but he nodded stiffly and the moment Castiel trotted into the room, Lucifer half-paced, half-limped out, slamming the door behind him.

Castiel blinked owlishly at the door as Gabriel snorted distastefully.

“Good riddance.” He tilted his head at Cas. “Now what was it you wanted? You were doing a lot of staring at dinner.”

Castiel averted his gaze sheepishly. “Apologies. I didn’t intend to be so rude.”

Gabriel marginally relaxed as an amused smile touched his lips.

“Compared to your _darling_ brother, you’re a saint. Castiel, right?”

Cas nodded and Gabriel plopped down onto the couch, patting the seat beside him in invitation. Castiel glanced at the seat warily. It would definitely be breaking etiquette if he were to sit beside Gabriel when Lucifer hadn’t given him permission. 

Then again, Gabriel didn’t seem too concerned with etiquette. 

Castiel shrugged and took the seat.

“What’s on your mind, kiddo?” Drawled Gabriel as he made himself comfortable. 

Castiel placed his hands delicately in his lap. “I don’t wish to be offensive, but why do you act so… rebellious in Lucifer’s presence?”

Gabriel stiffened, a distrusting spark behind his eyes and Castiel hurried to explain.

“I don’t mean you as an individual, but I’ve noticed certain omegas are… less than cooperative when they meet this family. Most are polite and respectful like Michael’s mate, but others such as yourself seem to dislike us. I was just wondering why that is and if there’s any way to rectify the problem?”

Gabriel blinked and then he blinked again to make sure Castiel wasn’t joking. When he realised the alpha was deadly serious, he settled back into his seat with a disbelieving huff of laughter.

“…Alright… Is there any reason this has only come to the forefront of your mind now?”

“I’ve found my first potential soulmate and he’s an omega. However, he’s not overly fond of me and I keep finding ways to accidentally offend him without realising I have done so.”

Gabriel nodded thoughtfully. “And you have a crush on this guy but he won’t look at you twice?”

Castiel frowned as he shook his head. “I don’t have a crush on Dean Winchester.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow but when he realised Cas was telling the truth he sighed.

“What is it with you traditional alphas?” He muttered to himself. “Look, kid. There’s no point in trying to court this guy if you don’t even like him. Your brother and I are a perfect example of why that’s a terrible idea. Forget about him and find someone you’re actually attracted to.”

Castiel’s frown deepened. “If our souls react to one another, then that means there must be potential between us. Maybe if I could get to know him, I might like him and he might like me. That’s how the whole ‘soulmate’ theory works, correct?”

Gabriel pulled a face. “At one time, I would’ve said ‘yes’. But after being matched with your pig-headed brother, I’m not so sure any more.”

Castiel scowled in frustration, ignoring the jab at Lucifer. It's not like it wasn't deserved. “But… there’s got to be a reason Dean and I were matched. It can’t just be random.”

“I’m rather convinced it is,” replied Gabriel dismissively and Cas felt something inside him crack. That couldn’t be right. There had to be something that had made him and Dean compatible, otherwise… what was the point in having a soul? 

He wanted to at least have a shot at love. No matter how small.

“We haven’t even tried to get to know one another. We come from completely different backgrounds and we have nothing in common as far as I can tell,” murmured Cas softly. “Mother and father want me to court him but I don’t want to be stuck in a loveless mating. If I could just get to know him… maybe I could at least like him. But I keep angering him and I don’t know why. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.”

Gabriel was silent for a few moments and Castiel wondered if coming to the omega for advice had been a good idea. He was being less than helpful.

“’Dean Winchester’, huh? Sounds like the type of guy who wears leather jackets and drives classic cars whilst blasting ‘ACDC’ out the window.”

Cas perked up. “His father won’t let him drive it, but he said they keep an old muscle car in the garage.”

Gabriel chuckled. “I can see why you have difficulties getting him to like you.”

Castiel tilted his head in confusion and Gabriel grinned.

“Dean’s not a traditional omega. Treating him like one isn’t going to get you anywhere. You’ve got to be willing to take a risk. Take a step away from all the traditional alpha and omega roles and just… enjoy yourself. Pretend there aren’t any secondary genders and just treat Dean how you think he wants to be treated. Learn about his likes and dislikes, make him happy, be his friend. Show him he can rely on you; show him you’ll be there for him when he needs you; be the best friend he ever had. Maybe if you do all that, you might just be lucky enough to earn his friendship in return. If you’re extremely lucky, and I mean, the luckiest alpha on the planet, you might even develop feelings for one another. Feelings that mean more than friendship.”

Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “But that’s not something you can force just because your souls say you have the potential to be good for one another. You’ve both got to work hard to prove yourselves to each other. Love isn’t a one-way street and it’s not as easy as everyone makes it out to be.”

Castiel absorbed this information carefully. Gabriel almost sounded as though he was speaking from experience.

“But how will I know if what I want to say will offend him?”

“Think if Dean were about to say the same thing about you, would you be offended by it? If that doesn’t work, you’re just going to have to learn the hard way and hope Dean can be patient with you. My advice is gage his reactions and learn quickly,” grinned Gabriel and Castiel nodded solemnly.

“Thank you, Gabriel.”

The omega smiled warmly at him. “It’s a relief to be addressed by name instead of ‘omega’. I was beginning to wonder if anyone actually knew it.”

Castiel made a mental note to never call Dean ‘omega’.

“You have been most helpful,” thanked Castiel before averting his gaze contemplatively. “I wonder if Crowley asks for advice regarding Dean,” he muttered to himself and Gabriel produced a humbug from his pocket.

“Who’s Crowley?” He asked as he unwrapped the mint and Castiel glanced over to him.

“Dean’s boyfriend.”

Gabriel paused.

“Wait… this kid is already in a relationship?”

Castiel nodded and Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You can’t just… Look, Castiel. You can’t break a couple up just because you think you should be with one of them. It’s wrong. You’ve got to let Dean decide that for himself otherwise you’re taking his decisions away from him. That’ll just make him resent you more and then nothing you say or do will work to win his affections.”

“Then what should I do?” Asked Castiel in confusion and Gabriel shrugged helplessly.

“Nothing. You don’t do anything. Dean hasn’t chosen you. You don’t get a say in the matter. Sometimes, you’ve just got to accept that you can’t always have what you want.”

Castiel felt his heart ache. Wait, so nothing he did mattered? He could never court Dean even though he was the first and only potential soulmate Cas had ever found since presenting? 

…That wasn’t fair.

Gabriel’s gaze softened. “Sorry, kiddo. Sometimes life sucks. You’ve just got to make the most out of it.”

“…What if I never meet another soulmate? What if Dean’s the only one? My parents won’t allow me to mate someone who isn’t a match if they know I let Dean slip away.”

Gabriel scowled. “Well, your parents sound fun.” He shook his head. “Soulmates aren’t that great anyway,” he sighed, his gaze briefly flicking to the door. “Trust me.”

Castiel let his eyes fall to the floor. “There’s got to be something I can do. Anything.”

Gabriel pulled a sympathetic face. “You can be a good friend. Y’know, support him. Show him he has someone to talk to if he ever needs it. Other than that… you’ve got to let him go. He’s made his decision and unfortunately, you weren’t in it. Sorry, Castiel.”

Cas’ shoulders slumped as he dissected this new information. Could they really only be friends?

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why are you so bothered about him anyway? If you don’t even like him, why do you care who makes him happy?” Asked Gabriel, puzzled and Castiel realised he didn’t have an answer to that.

“I… I’m not sure,” he admitted. “We have never seen eye-to-eye and I suppose… I wasn’t exactly kind to him throughout high school. Our conversations consisted of insults and heated glares and my friends took great joy in pushing him around and mocking him.” Castiel glanced at his feet, cheeks burning in shame. “Sometimes I joined in with them.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “You bullied him.” He cocked his head. “Why?”

“He was Unpresented until very recently. I’ve always been taught to be wary of the Unpresented. My parents say they are cruel and evil people who have mutilated souls,” confessed Castiel uncomfortably and Gabriel snorted.

“Your parents are definitely buckets of fun. Question is, do you still think that?”

“No,” replied Castiel without a moment of hesitation. “Dean is nothing like that. He loves his little brother very much. He’s protective and loyal to his friends and he’s a good person. He saved my life not too long ago, from a gang of intoxicated alphas.”

Gabriel chuckled suddenly.

“I think I know what the problem is.”

Castiel sat a little straighter and Gabriel smirked.

“You feel guilty.”

“…Excuse me?”

“After having a tiny glimpse into Dean’s personality, you suddenly feel guilty about bullying him. You want to get him to like you because you want to apologise for how you’ve treated him. You want to feel as though you’re forgiven for wronging an innocent man. You don’t need to mate Dean to apologise to him; just tell him you’re sorry,” smiled Gabriel. “Sounds to me like you owe him that much. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even offer to be your friend if you tell him you regret doing the things you’ve done. Something tells me you’ll benefit from being around someone who isn’t a total jerk.”

“But what about our souls? They still react whenever we touch,” commented Cas and Gabriel shrugged.

“You’ll just have to live with it. Like I said, Dean has chosen someone else and honestly, when you think of the things you claim to have done to him, do you blame him? If you truly care for Dean and you wish to make him happy, a friendship with him should be enough.”

Castiel mulled this over before nodding slowly.

“Okay. Thank you again, Gabriel. You’ve been very kind.” 

The omega smiled warmly. “No problem.”

Castiel climbed to his feet and made his way towards the door, but before he reached it he turned towards Gabriel one last time.

“All those things you said earlier… is that how you want Lucifer to treat you?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise as Castiel stared at him and eventually the omega averted his gaze without a word.

Castiel left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally managed to churn this chapter out! It's taken me a while due to my lambing placement (which I'm sure those of you who have read _Running with the wolves_ know all about) but it's finally here and hey look! A new character! Poor Luci... ;) Enjoy~


	12. Facing fears

Castiel was in Heaven. 

Dean was holding back laughter and Sam was beaming at him.

There were twelve fluffy, slobbery, excited puppies scrabbling all over him and he was practically pinned to the floor as they clambered over his face, chest and legs.

“You okay there, Cas?” Chuckled Dean as Sam snickered from the next pen, where he was petting an elderly golden retriever.

“I think so,” called Castiel despite there being a puppy sat on his face. It licked at his nose and Castiel laughed because it tickled.

He carefully sat up, picking up the black bundle of fluff that didn’t want to move from his face and the remaining puppies swarmed around him, each vying for attention.

He idly cuddled the black puppy to his chest, smiling when it closed its eyes with a yawn and he gently stroked its head as it got comfortable.

“Sam, would you like to entertain these animals for a while? They’ve tired me out,” said Castiel as he flicked his gaze over to the eagerly nodding younger Winchester. Sam hopped over the fence separating the pens and immediately the pack of puppies sprinted over to him, jumping and yapping as their tails motored from side to side. 

The puppy in Castiel’s arms glared in irritation at its siblings, but upon spotting Sam it immediately woke up and wriggled, trying to break free of Cas’ grasp. The alpha slowly passed the squirming puppy to Sam and he couldn’t help but smile when the younger alpha’s face lit up in delight.

“I feel betrayed,” commented Castiel as he wandered over to where Dean was watching from outside the pen (apparently he wasn’t that much of a dog lover) and the omega flicked his amused gaze over to him.

“It’s a dog,” he pointed out and Castiel took on a look of mock offence.

“She was my friend.”

Dean snorted. “For all of three minutes, in which time she tried to suffocate you.”

“We shared a profound bond.”

Dean huffed out a laugh and Castiel found himself grinning back. 

“You should get to know them,” said Cas. “You might make a new friend.”

The omega shook his head. “I can do without the type of friend who drools and chews my shoes.”

Castiel allowed his gaze to wander back over to Sam, smiling when the younger alpha began wrestling with two puppies who were trying valiantly to steal his shoe.

A black nose caught his eye and Castiel turned to find a German shepherd watching them quietly from a pen much further down the row. It seemed to be on its own and Cas wondered if it was lonely.

“He looks like he could use a friend,” commented the alpha as he gestured to the silent dog and Dean followed his gaze. Upon spotting the animal, Dean flinched slightly and Castiel raised an eyebrow as something clicked inside his skull.

“Wait… Dean, are you… frightened of dogs?”

Dean stiffened for a moment but when he realised Castiel was merely curious, he nodded slowly.

“When I was a kid, I was playing hide and seek with Sammy and I didn’t realise our next-door neighbours had a dog. We were new in town and the garden was so overgrown and full of weeds and rusted machinery, I thought the house was abandoned. I hopped over the fence to look for Sam and saw the dog too late. Turns out it was a guard dog and it didn’t like me trespassing on its turf. I was unconscious by the time Dad found me and it took weeks for my face and chest to heal. I still have a couple of scars, actually.”

Castiel grimaced and Dean sighed bitterly. “Dad wasn’t too pleased with the hospital bill either. I was grounded for months after that,” he murmured quietly. 

Cas didn’t know all that much about Dean’s family, but he was beginning to think that John Winchester wasn’t all that great a parent.

He shook his head. “You can’t go your whole life avoiding dogs. I know you had a bad experience with one, but they’re not all the same. Come with me.”

Cas grabbed Dean’s arm and began to make his way over to the German shepherd, but he was surprised when the omega yanked his arm away with a frown.

“No, Cas. I don’t want to go anywhere near that thing.”

“But Dean- ”

“I said ‘no’!”

Castiel tilted his head. “Was that the type of dog that hurt you?”

At the omega’s hesitant nod, Castiel stopped; it was clear Dean really didn’t want to accompany him. He tried to remember Gabriel’s advice. _Think if Dean were about to say the same thing about you, would you be offended by it?_

A little-known fact about Castiel was he was scared of bats. Lucifer, Michael and Raphael had made him stay up late to watch a horror film when he was only six and the second the film ended, his brothers had switched the lights off and proceeded to prank him until he had been literally crying with fear. One of the pranks had included Lucifer releasing a live fruit bat into the living room whilst all the lights were off.

He imagined how he would react if Dean had tried to drag him into a bat house. He would’ve been frozen in terror, yet here Dean was at the local rescue shelter, amongst dozens and dozens of dogs (and cats, which he was allergic to) because he wanted to make his brother happy.

Castiel looked at Dean with a newfound sense of respect. The omega was being very brave.

He nodded in understanding. “Okay.” _You don’t need to mate Dean to apologise to him; just tell him you’re sorry. Sounds to me like you owe him that much._ “Apologies for grabbing you. It was inappropriate. I won’t do it again.”

Dean blinked in shock before snapping his gaze up to stare at Castiel. 

“Uh… that’s okay, man,” he said cautiously. “Don’t worry about it.”

Castiel nodded again, a small smile gracing his features before he turned to the lonely German shepherd.

“If it’s alright with you though, I’d like to see him,” he said and Dean raised an eyebrow. 

“…Sure. You don’t have to ask for my permission. You can do what you like.”

Cas offered him another small smile before trotting over to the dog. He spoke softly to it and it seemed to perk up at the prospect of company. When Cas sat down in the pen, the animal sniffed him and lay its head on his lap, relaxing as Cas stroked it.

It took ten minutes for Dean to wander over.

“You two look happy,” he chuckled and both human and canine glanced up at him.

“Colonel just wanted someone to talk to,” hummed Castiel and Dean quirked an amused grin.

“You named him?”

“He looks like a Colonel.”

Dean observed the dog for a few moments and Colonel wagged his tail half-heartedly.

“He does,” the omega agreed. 

Castiel watched Dean for a couple of minutes before his gaze flicked down to the contented animal in his lap and he tilted his head.

“Would you be interested in getting rid of your fear?” He asked softly and Dean froze as he glanced at the dog warily before staring at Cas as if searching his face for something.

Cas was surprised when Dean nodded hesitantly.

The alpha didn’t say anything as Dean gathered the courage to walk into the pen and he smiled encouragingly when the omega slowly came to sit beside him, hands a little shaky and breathing shallow.

Castiel made sure to keep the dog’s head in his lap until Dean was finally ready, and when he released his hold on Colonel, the dog turned towards Dean.

“Relax and hold your hand out,” murmured Castiel. “Let him memorise your scent and then he’ll be able to work out who you are.”

Dean did as he was told and sure enough, Colonel leaned over to sniff at his palm. His tail wagged once and Dean flinched but Cas placed a reassuring hand on his back to let him know he wasn’t alone this time and the omega relaxed slightly.

Colonel pressed his cool nose into Dean’s hand and the omega stiffened for a second, but then Colonel shifted until he could rest his head on the omega’s lap and Dean stared at the animal in shock.

“He wants you to pet him,” hummed Castiel and Dean carefully smoothed his hand over the dog’s back. Colonel seemed to slump and when Dean gingerly stroked his head, he closed his eyes happily and licked Dean’s hand once in gratitude.

A wide grin slowly crept across Dean’s face and Castiel chuckled in amazement.

“Well done, Dean. Not many people could do what you’ve just done.”

“Stroke a dog?” Dean asked, scrunching his nose up in puzzlement and Castiel shook his head.

“Face their fear,” he explained. “You should be very proud of yourself.”

Dean blinked as the epiphany struck and he ducked his head embarrassedly. 

“Oh… uh… thanks, Cas. Wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”

Castiel wondered if Dean got many compliments. He didn’t seem to be very good at receiving them.

“You did very well,” he commented and a smile tugged at Dean’s lips as his gaze fixed itself on the floor. Cas found he rather liked the expression.

A few minutes passed before Dean cleared his throat. 

“You scared of anything?”

Cas had never let anyone know of his fear, not even his family (although his brothers were likely to use it against him and his parents would probably just call him ‘soft’ and ‘childish’ for having a fear that stemmed from when he was six).

“Bats,” he admitted quietly and Dean made a soft sound of acknowledgement. 

“Why’s that?”

Castiel told him of his brothers’ pranks to scare him and Dean wrinkled his nose. 

“You were only six and they were doing stuff like pretending there was a demon trying to kill you? That’s not even funny, it’s cruel.”

Cas shrugged. “They were teenagers. Don’t tell me you never played a practical joke on your brother?”

“Yeah, of course. Stuff like filling his shampoo with glitter or swapping out all the music on his phone for Justin Bieber. I’ve never chased him around a dark house with a machete whilst wearing black contact lenses,” scowled Dean and Castiel frowned because his brothers’ pranks were always like that. They were meant to scare him. Wasn’t that how all siblings were with each other?

“That’s just messed up,” huffed Dean as he shook his head. “You were six. You shouldn’t have had to go through that.”

Cas lowered his gaze contemplatively and something like sympathy flickered over Dean’s expression.

“…Y’know, I think we’ve got a fruit bat living in our back yard. Wanna face your fear?” He winked and Castiel chuckled.

“And how do you propose you’re going to catch it long enough for me to pet it?”

Dean smirked. “We’ll get Sammy to do it. He loves all things cute and cuddly. Let him do the hard work.”

“Hey, I heard that!”

“Good!”

Castiel smiled at the brothers’ interactions. They were nothing like how his brothers acted around one another. His brothers were always in competition with one another, especially Lucifer and Michael. They were always out to make the other slip up, or prove themselves better than the other.

Sam and Dean encouraged each other to do better. They supported one another and took care of family. Dean’s presence at the shelter was a testament to that.

Castiel wished his brothers could be a little more like the Winchesters. Maybe if he acted more supportive and encouraging with his siblings, they would change their attitudes…

“Woah, Dean! You’re over your fear of dogs? That’s awesome!” Beamed Sam as he neared the pen.

“Don’t expect me to want to hug every dog I see, but yeah, I’m not terrified of this guy anymore.” He scratched Colonel’s ear for emphasis and the animal’s tail wiggled.

“Cool,” grinned Sam before glancing to one of the building’s side doors. “I think I’m going to check out the stables. Apparently, they’ve got a goat.”

“Be careful,” warned Dean and Sam rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

The younger Winchester meandered away and Cas leaned back onto his hands as he looked around the shelter.

“This is a wonderful place, Dean. Thank you for inviting me.”

The omega wouldn’t meet his gaze as he continued to stroke Colonel, who was now fast asleep.

“Well, you’ve invited me out quite a few times now. Thought I’d better return the favour. I know I don’t have any money, but it doesn’t mean I can’t take you anywhere.”

Castiel tilted his head. “You’re not obliged to take me anywhere.”

“Yeah, well you said you wanted to be friends. Friendships work two ways and one person shouldn’t be making all the effort,” muttered Dean quietly and Cas couldn’t help but smile.

“You wish to be friends?”

Dean still wouldn’t meet his gaze. “We’ll see,” he said softly and although the ominous reply should have disheartened Castiel, it didn’t because Dean was willing to consider giving him a chance. If anything, Cas was encouraged by Dean’s response. Gabriel had told him it would be difficult, but if Dean was willing to try then Cas certainly was.

He glanced at his lap for a few moments.

“There is a fairground approximately half an hour’s drive from here. I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me sometime?” He asked hopefully and Dean sighed. 

“Cas, I can’t- ”

“I will pay.”

Dean closed his eyes wearily. “Remember when we said ‘money isn’t everything’? You can’t just keep paying for me to go to places; it’s vulgar. That was the whole point of me bringing you here, remember? I was trying to show you that you don’t need money to have a good time.”

“I have not forgotten,” murmured Castiel. “But I don’t wish to limit our choices. I’m not trying to flaunt my wealth in front of you, I promise. I would’ve asked you the same question if the fairground was free admission. We may not need money to have a good time, but it could certainly enhance the time we have and if money could offer us more enjoyment, then the cost becomes irrelevant. Please, just ignore the expenses and let me take you and your brother out for candy floss and rollercoasters?”

Dean finally met his gaze and after a brief staring contest, the older Winchester finally conceded defeat.

“Alright, fine. But you’ve got to stop wasting all your money on me.”

Cas shook his head. “I’m not ‘wasting’ it, Dean. Saving it for myself is a very lonely life. What is the point in money if you have no one to enjoy it with?”

Dean blinked. “…I’ve never thought about it like that.”

 _‘That’s because you’ve never had it,’_ was on the tip of Castiel’s tongue, but he remembered Gabriel’s words about whether he would be offended if Dean said something to similar to him and he realised he probably would.

“Ignore the expenses and accompany me on a pleasant trip out of town?” Asked Cas and Dean finally nodded.

“Okay,” Dean smiled almost shyly and Castiel grinned.

“How does next weekend sound?”

“Awesome. Sammy’ll be so excited.”

“Good.” Then Castiel frowned as he remembered something. “We might have to take the bus though. I don’t think my brothers will offer to drive us after what happened last time.”

Dean shrugged. “Not a problem.”

Castiel quirked his lips at the omega and Dean grinned in return.

They were finally getting somewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, true story. My friend (who is male and 6'4) was absolutely terrified of large dogs. We went to a party and the host had a hulking Bernese mountain dog that was the softest thing on the planet. My friend couldn't move for the first part of the night and he plastered himself against the wall for about an hour and refused to go anywhere near this dog. As all dogs do, it got curious and started sniffing the guests, wagging its tail at any strokes and cuddles it got along the way. When it got to my friend, he looked as though he was going to faint. All the colour had drained from his face and he was hardly breathing. He was so frightened, he couldn't speak to tell someone to move the dog away from him and he felt trapped by it because it had him cornered against the wall. I spotted him after a few minutes and told him to hold his hand out to let the dog sniff him and he was on the verge of tears, saying he couldn't. Eventually, I managed to convince him that the dog only wanted to say hello and then it would leave him alone for the rest of the night, so he slowly held his hand out. The dog sniffed him, nuzzled his hand then left and my friend was so shocked that it hadn't bitten him that he couldn't move for a few minutes. Later on, I wanted to check my friend was okay as I couldn't see the dog and when I found him, he was sat in a chair, the dog's head in his lap (it was fast asleep) and he was stroking it and talking to it softly. He didn't move for half an hour.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. A minor setback

“You don’t get a say in who I talk to!” Yelled Gabriel, face red and furious. “I am not and never will be your property!”

“You are my omega and I forbid you to talk to any other alphas,” spat Lucifer. “How dare you flirt with those thugs and in a bar, no less! What were you doing alone in a bar when you have already accepted my courtship?”

Gabriel clenched his fists. “Mick Davies and Gadreel Penikett are my friends,” he hissed. “You have no right to drag me away from them and you don’t get to start snarling and threatening them in a public place when they’ve done nothing wrong!”

“You were offering yourself to them,” growled Lucifer and Gabriel bristled.

“Mick likes to flirt with his friends! He’s been doing it for years! It means nothing! It’s what friends do!” The omega snapped and Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

“You’re not allowed to talk to them anymore.”

“You can’t stop me,” snorted Gabriel.

“Oh, can’t I?” Challenged Lucifer, prowling towards Gabriel dangerously, but the omega stood his ground.

“You don’t scare me, Lucifer. You can’t do anything to me that I won’t do back and if you think you can control even the tiniest fragment of my life, then you’re in for a shock.”

“You should watch your tone, omega,” rumbled Lucifer. “You need to learn your place and soon. Omegas shouldn’t talk back to their alphas.”

“I will speak to you as I please,” growled Gabriel. “You’re an overly possessive, controlling, alpha knot-head and until you learn to respect others, I will treat you as such.”

Gabriel wasn’t prepared for the fist that impacted his face.

He staggered backwards, holding his aching jaw and Lucifer straightened.

“So far, I have been patient with you, Gabriel. But this time you’ve crossed the line and you will be punished accordingly. Expect to be treated in the same manner each time you choose to disobey or undermine my authority. I am your alpha and you’ll learn this fact one way or another.”

Lucifer tumbled to the floor when Gabriel suddenly smashed his knuckles into his mouth.

The omega wrung his hand out with a grimace as Lucifer stared at him with wide, stunned eyes and a split lip which was beginning to leak with blood.

“Like I said; anything you do to me, I’ll do back to you,” said Gabriel coldly. “Just because you’re an alpha doesn’t mean you get special treatment. You don’t own me and I’m certainly not intimidated by you. In fact, I’ve always loved a challenge and the more you belittle and try to control me, the more determined I’ll be to fight you at every turn. So think very carefully what you say and do to me because I guarantee I’m nothing like any other omega you’ve ever met before.”

Gabriel yelped when Lucifer pinned him against the wall, a hand wrapped tightly around his throat.

“I could kill you right now,” whispered Lucifer, a mere inch from Gabriel’s defiant face. “I know some alphas who would’ve already done so. However, I find it entertaining that you think you can fight me so I’ll let you live _for now_. Be warned; don’t grow too cocky, Gabriel. I may not be in such a forgiving mood next time.”

Lucifer hissed in pain when Gabriel grabbed his crotch in a vice-like grip, digging his nails in just to make the alpha whine.

“I hope you’re not,” he breathed, lips brushing Lucifer’s tauntingly. “I’ve been itching for a good fight.” He squeezed even harder and Lucifer whimpered briefly as he released Gabriel’s throat.

The omega let go of Lucifer’s abused body part and the alpha lost his balance for a second as he rushed to cup his throbbing pelvis and Gabriel gingerly touched his burning neck. There would definitely be a large bruise there tomorrow.

He glared at Lucifer with barely restrained anger. “I’m going back to the bar to apologise for your behaviour. After that I’m going to have a drink with my friends, invite them back to my apartment and then maybe we’ll have a wild, steamy threesome until the early hours of tomorrow morning. You’re not invited, by the way.”

Lucifer snarled. “If you even allow them to touch you, I’ll make you pay.”

“If you dare try to lay a hand on me again, I’ll rip your knot off,” spat Gabriel. “Good night, _lover_.”

With that, the omega stormed out of the alpha’s bedroom, ignoring the disapproving glares he received from Naomi and Zachariah, and slammed the door behind him.

If Lucifer thought he could intimidate Gabriel Speight into obeying his every command, then the alpha was in for a huge surprise.

Gabriel wouldn’t back down in front of Lucifer because no matter how much his ‘soulmate’ threatened him, Gabriel could guarantee he’d faced worse.

 

* * *

 

“I just find it concerning that you seem to be spending a lot of time around him,” murmured Crowley. “He’s not forcing you to do anything, is he?”

Dean sighed. “Like I keep telling you, Castiel’s not looking for trouble. He really does seem to want to make up for the things he’s done.”

Crowley pulled a face. “And that’s great, but can you trust him? I mean, you know how he views the whole ‘soulmate’ situation. How do you know it’s not just a plot to manipulate you into, I don’t know… mating him, or something?”

Dean scowled. “Somehow, I highly doubt his intentions are to force me to have sex with him.”

Crowley rolled his shoulders uneasily. “I’m just worried about you, Dean. I don’t trust him and when he keeps requesting your presence to places I can’t accompany you to- ”

“You’re worried you can’t protect me?” Asked Dean with a frown and Crowley grimaced at his mistake.

“I’m well aware you can look after yourself. I know you don’t need my protection, but I’m worried he’s tricking you into believing he’s changed. Other than his behaviour with you, he has given me no reason to believe he’s any different from the arrogant, cruel, repulsive bully he originally was. He still has the same social group, the same hangout spots and he hasn’t apologised to any other kid he or his friends have bullied over the years. He hasn’t really changed.”

“He’s right, Dean,” Jo said quietly as Charlie and Ash nodded in agreement. “Castiel isn’t a good guy. I think he might be manipulating you.”

Dean glanced at his soggy hotdog and deflated.

“Look, guys. I know he’s not the greatest alpha in the world, but everyone deserves a chance, right? If you’d have seen his brother… I can kind of understand why he is the way he is. After speaking to him, I think… I think he can learn to see the world in a different way if someone was willing to teach him and I’m not hoping for miracles here, but an attitude alteration wouldn’t go amiss, would it?”

Crowley huffed. “Why does it have to be you who teaches him to not be an insufferable jerk? That’s his parents’ job.”

Dean shook his head. “After hearing the way his family have treated him, especially his brothers, I don’t think there’s much hope for that. I don’t think any of his family are an ideal role model for him.”

Crowley crossed his arms. “Fine. Let someone else deal with him. He shouldn’t expect you to mould him into a decent human being.”

Dean cocked an eyebrow. “He’s not expecting me to do anything. He just wants to be friends.” The omega tilted his head. “Why is this bothering you so much? It’s not like I’m involving you with him.”

“Because I don’t want him to take advantage of your kindness. I don’t want him to hurt you,” said Crowley unhappily and Dean stared at him.

“I can take care of myself,” he said slowly and Crowley shifted uncomfortably.

“I know. I just… don’t like him wanting to be around you all the time.”

Dean blinked.

“…Are you… are you _jealous?_ ”

Crowley snorted. “Hardly,” he said a little too quickly and suddenly Dean felt a smile tugging at his lips.

“What? Do you think I’m going to run away with him into the sunset?” He teased and Crowley glanced away. Dean’s gaze softened.

“I’m your omega, Crowley. No one else’s. Me spending time with Castiel isn’t going to change that. You’re the alpha I want, not him.”

Crowley relaxed a little and Dean smiled. “But you can’t keep me locked away in bubble wrap forever. You’ve got to let me do my own thing at least sometimes.”

Crowley sighed softly. “I know. Just… be careful, okay? And if he makes you uncomfortable even once, you come straight to me and I’ll sort him out.”

Dean chuckled. “Yes, Sir.”

“He really rubs me up the wrong way.”

“I know he does.”

“If you ask me, he deserves to be friendless.”

“Give him a chance. Maybe he can learn.”

“If you say so,” scoffed Crowley. “To me, it looks like you’re flogging a dead horse.”

Dean rolled his eyes and Crowley shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

“Well, that was disgustingly sweet,” cut in Jo and conversation eventually switched to the substitute teacher in their English class.

Dean couldn’t help but smile as he watched Crowley chat to the people who had been so wary of him at the start of the year. Jo, Ash and Charlie had been sceptical about his and Crowley’s relationship at first, but then Crowley had started making an effort to talk to them and their opinions of him had slowly changed from _‘possible-mafia-psychopath’_ to _‘maybe-not-such-a-bad-guy-afterall’_.

Changes were happening all the time; who was to say Castiel couldn’t be an example of that?

 

* * *

 

Dean was surprised to find himself rather excited about the weekend’s events. He assumed that was because Sam was excited too. They had been to fairgrounds before; the kind of temporary ones where the vending machines didn’t work and the rides creaked and groaned from years of not being looked after properly and it seemed like a few screws were missing from the tracks. 

However, they’d never been to the one Castiel had described and when they’d researched it, it turned out to be a small, family-run theme-park that was very well hidden from the hustle and bustle of tourists from the big cities. 

Sam and Dean were looking forward to another fun day out.

They scraped together what little cash they had between them (Castiel may be paying for them, but they weren’t about to go anywhere empty-handed) and each filled an old plastic bottle full of water before making their way towards the door. They had planned to meet Castiel at the library again, where they would take a bus to the park.

Just as they were about to leave, John Winchester stepped into the hall, a half-empty beer bottle in hand and a suspicious scowl on his features.

“Where are you two going?” He asked gruffly and both boys stood a little straighter.

“Library, Sir,” replied Dean and John raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

“On a Saturday?”

Dean nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

John narrowed his eyes. “You’ve both been doing a lot of studying recently.”

“Lots of assessments at school,” lied Dean. 

John turned his sharp gaze upon Sam.

“You’re not trying to hide anything from me, are you, boy?”

Sam shook his head. “No, Sir.”

John eyed the water bottles. “Show me your pockets,” he ordered quietly and the brothers suffered a quick flash of internal panic.

“There’s nothing in them. Just the house keys and our phones,” said Dean and John glared at him.

“Well, if there’s nothing in them, you have nothing to hide. Show me your pockets.”

“Dad- ”

“Do as your alpha tells you,” growled John and both brothers flinched before slowly turning out their pockets to reveal the money they’d stuffed into them.

John rumbled in irritation and snatched the cash off them.

“Don’t you ever lie to me again,” he warned before pocketing their hard-saved cash. “Where were you really going and who with?”

Dean briefly closed his eyes in disappointment.

“We were going out with a friend. He asked us to accompany him to a park.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.

“Which friend? Alpha, beta or omega?”

Dean gulped. “Alpha,” he admitted quietly. There was no point in avoiding the truth. John would suspect anyway.

The older alpha stiffened.

“If I find that arrogant little creep has got you pregnant- ”

“It’s not Crowley,” frowned Dean. He didn’t like it when his father spoke ill of the other boy. He also didn't mention the fact he still hadn't developed any omega organs or genitalia yet.

John raised an incredulous eyebrow before snorting in distaste.

“I knew you were spreading your legs for more than just that little punk. They paying you well?”

Sam scowled. “Dean’s not selling his body.”

“Shut up, Sam. I wasn’t addressing you,” dismissed John before turning back to a weary Dean.

“It was bad enough you didn’t present like a normal kid, but then when you finally did, you presented as a weak, fragile omega who’ll end up draining what little funds we have because of your need for heat suppressants. Now I hear you’re out in the streets, begging alphas for their knots. What have I done to deserve this, boy? Why are you so intent on making my life more difficult than it already is?” He snapped and Dean shrank in on himself.

“I’m sorry, Sir.”

John snorted in disgust. “Stand up straight, Dean. At least try to act like a man.”

“Then start treating him like one!” Snarled Sam and Dean’s eyes widened when he registered the look of fury in their father’s eyes.

“Mind your tone, Sam,” John rumbled lowly but Sam merely stared defiantly at the older man.

“Not until you start treating Dean with the respect he deserves. He’s an omega, not an animal. He doesn’t need you degrading him like he’s some cheap hooker.”

The second John’s hand raised, Dean was placing himself between his father and brother, and the omega bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out when a palm connected with the side of his head.

He held his stinging ear as he staggered to one side, the world around him slightly muffled as if he was underwater, but it was only temporary and when he looked up, Sam’s face was a mixture of horror, apology, fear, gratefulness and anger all rolled into one.

John, on the other hand, was furious. He grabbed the brothers by their collars and dragged them towards the stairs, where he threw them onto the steps.

“You’re both grounded,” he hissed and just as the pair stumbled to their feet, the older alpha smacked Sam on the back of the head, making the younger boy yelp. 

He whirled on his heel and made his way into the kitchen for another beer. “Two months,” he snapped over his shoulder. 

Dean tugged Sam to his feet once their father was gone and the pair trudged up the stairs in silence. They stepped into Dean’s room and the moment Dean closed the door, Sam had his arms wound tightly around his brother as he buried his face into his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, tears seeping into the omega’s shirt and Dean hugged him close as he leaned his cheek against Sam’s hair.

“It’s not your fault. You were standing up for me. I should be thanking you. If anything, it’s my fault,” Dean murmured and Sam frowned.

“You didn’t ask to present as an omega. You didn’t ask for Dad to be so sexist. How on Earth is any of this your fault?”

Dean sighed and squeezed his brother appreciatively. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have." He tightened his grip on the younger boy. "But I'm honoured you did."

Sam frowned unhappily. "You deserve so much better than the stuff he says about you. You're the best brother and friend anyone could ever ask for and I wish people would start treating you like it."

Dean remained silent because if he didn't, he wasn't certain he could stop himself from choking out a sob.

“I’m sorry, Sammy,” he said instead after a few moments. “I know how excited you were to go.”

Sam pulled away slightly. “You were excited too,” he murmured. “I could tell.”

Dean smiled and huffed out a quiet laugh. “I guess I was.”

Sam snuggled back into his brother’s chest and Dean made the decision to manoeuvre them until they were lying on the bed, Sam practically draped across him. He stroked his brother’s back soothingly, remembering a time when they were far younger and used to sleep like this after scaring each other half to death with ghost stories. He remembered them crawling into each other’s beds at ridiculous hours in the morning after one of them had had a nightmare. Sometimes, they would fall asleep curled up next to one another when they’d been up late reading or watching a movie and happy memories of cold winter nights passed through his mind, both of them wrapped up snugly in the same blanket as they kept each other warm, telling stories and giggling under the blankets.

Dean wished things could go back to how they used to be, back when everything was so simple and genders didn’t matter. 

Back when Mom was alive.

A sinking feeling hit his gut and he suddenly felt cold all over. He hugged Sam tight and pressed his nose into his hair. Since presenting as an alpha, Sam had developed a strong scent of pine trees and cinnamon and Dean had to admit it was extremely comforting. He scented his brother silently and Sam must have worked out what he was doing because he shifted to nose at Dean’s neck.

Dean had been told he smelled of apple pie and strangely enough, nutmeg. It was very different to the stereotypical sweet omega scent, but Dean liked it because it made him feel as though he wasn’t the delicate, soft, vulnerable omega his father and most others made him out to be.

Sam released a typical alpha rumble of approval as he scented Dean and the omega chuckled as they pressed closer.

As much as Dean enjoyed Crowley’s company, there was something about it that didn’t quite make him feel as happy and whole as when he was with his brother. Sam’s presence relaxed him. He felt loved and wanted when he was with Sam and although he was surprised to feel it, but he was _safe_ when he was with his brother. It was just the two of them against the world and nothing and no one else mattered.

Twenty minutes later, Sam broke the peaceful silence.

“Cas is gonna wonder where we are.”

Dean cracked an eye open and sighed softly. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out his old, battered phone. He was delighted to feel Sam wriggle closer again and he wrapped an arm around the alpha.

Castiel picked up on the first ring.

 _“Where are you? Is everything alright, Dean?”_ The alpha’s familiar gravelly tone asked through the worn speaker.

“Yeah,” replied Dean quietly before pulling a face. “Well, no, not really.”

There was a pause on the other end and the omega sighed. “Look, Castiel, I’m sorry, but we can’t come.”

The reply was confused. _“…If I have said or done something to offend you- ”_

“It’s nothing like that,” cut in Dean. “Really, you’ve done nothing wrong. It’s just… we’re in a bit of trouble with Dad. He says we can’t come.”

This time, the answer was uncertain, almost concerned.

_“…Are you alright? Both of you?”_

Dean was oddly touched by the alpha’s worry.

“Yeah, we’re fine,” he said, not quite truthfully as he placed a protective hand over the back of Sam’s head without realising. “But it looks like you’ll have to go to the fair without us. Sorry, man.”

Another long pause.

 _“We can always visit another day,”_ murmured Castiel, but he sounded distracted. _“…Dean, are you sure everything is alright? You sound… strained.”_

Dean realised there was a tear rolling down his cheek. He quickly swiped it away.

“Peachy,” he assured through a forced smile. “You?”

 _“Honestly? I’m rather disappointed,”_ hummed Castiel. _“I was looking forward to seeing you both again.”_

The honest sincerity and bluntness of Castiel’s words startled huffs of laughter from both Winchester brothers and Dean found his smile morphing into a smaller, genuine one.

“Sorry, Cas. We would go with you if we could but we’re on house arrest over here.”

 _“I understand. As long as you’re both okay,”_ the alpha commented. _“I’ll put, as you say, ‘a rain check’ on our fairground plans. Maybe I’ll be able to buy you edible pink cotton and diabetes-inducing drinks another weekend?”_

Sam snickered as Dean bit back a laugh, but then the omega’s expression faded into something a little sadder.

“Maybe,” he agreed and both brothers could practically see that tiny, pleased smile the other alpha wore whenever something happened that made him happy.

_“Very well. I’ll wish you a good day and I hope your punishment isn’t too long.”_

Suddenly, Dean didn’t want Castiel to hang up.

“Wait!” He called and there was another pause before Castiel’s confused _“Yes, Dean?”_ floated down the line.

“…We’re coming,” muttered Dean quietly and Sam glanced at him, puzzled.

_“Excuse me?”_

“We’re coming,” stated Dean again before sitting up and pulling Sam with him. “Hold on, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

_“But your father- "_

Dean hung up the phone and shoved it back into his pocket as Sam stared at him as if he was crazy.

“What are you doing?”

“ _We_ are going to a secret theme park nobody except Cas seems to know about,” replied Dean as he walked over to the window. He smirked at the conveniently placed drain pipe running down the side of the house, not too far from his window. It was like every action movie cliche ever.

Sam followed his gaze and balked.

“Oh no, I’m not shimmying down a drainpipe like someone out of an old ‘James Bond’ movie!”

Dean snickered as he climbed onto the ledge.

“Well, it’s either this or you let down those long, flowing locks.” He attached himself to the wobbly drain pipe. “ _Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair_ ,” he teased before suddenly sliding down the pipe and vanishing out of sight.

Sam leaned over the ledge and huffed when his brother waved back at him cheekily from the ground.

“C’mon, Sammy. Don’t be a Princess!”

The alpha rolled his eyes and took one last look at the door to make sure John hadn’t barged in.

“Alright, I’m coming,” he grumbled as he climbed out of the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


	14. A valuable lesson

When the Winchesters arrived at the library, Castiel was waiting by the bus stop, confused frown in place as he looked around, trying to spot them and probably wondering if they’d actually show up at all. When he noticed them, his face lit up in surprised delight and both Winchesters couldn’t help but smile with him.

“Dean, Sam,” the alpha greeted as they neared him. “I thought you were grounded?”

“We are,” replied Dean with a shrug and when Castiel received no other response he shook his head.

“I wouldn’t like for you to get into trouble because of me. Are you sure you’re happy to go?”

“We want to come,” said Dean. “It’s our decision and you’re not getting us into trouble.” 

Sam nodded in agreement and Castiel looked pleased by this admittance. Dean decided he rather liked Cas’ small, happy smiles; they were honest and open in a way that suited the alpha.

Suddenly Cas’ expression dimmed and he leaned closer to the brothers, squinting at them both in concern before his gaze settled on Dean.

“When did you acquire the bruise on your face? It stretches from your ear to your cheek and jaw.”

Dean shrugged casually as Sam peered up at him worriedly.

“Fell into a wall,” lied Dean. “Tripped on the stairs. It’s no big deal.”

Castiel frowned. “This was recent, I take it?”

Dean nodded before flicking his gaze over to the approaching bus.

“Bus is here,” he commented, quickly changing topics and Cas watched him for a second longer before nodding reluctantly. 

The trio hopped into the vehicle and found some seats, and they chatted excitedly about the day ahead. They talked about rides and games and sugary treats and by the time they arrived at their stop, they were all sporting wide grins whilst practically vibrating with anticipation.

“I can’t remember the last time I was this excited to go to an amusement park,” Castiel commented offhandedly.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “How can you not be excited to go to a theme park?”

Cas spared him a glance before averting his gaze almost embarrassedly.

“I suppose I’ve always been able to do what I want, whenever I want. My friends are similar and as such, I guess we took it for granted.” He pulled a face. “Days out grew boring for us because we had them so often, so we started finding ways to entertain ourselves. That usually consisted of us getting into trouble with staff or other customers or guests and just making general nuisances of ourselves.”

He glanced over to the brothers. “It’s nice to be with people who appreciate such simple things. I’d forgotten what it felt like to find joy in things such as going to the movies and riding rollercoasters. I hope to feel it more often.”

Dean was secretly stunned by Castiel’s honesty. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact the alpha could do anything he wanted, any time he liked, yet still be bored. If he and Sam could do half the things Castiel was allowed to do, they would consider themselves the luckiest kids in the world. 

Sam however, saw it a different way.

“Sounds to me like you just have the wrong friends,” he frowned and Castiel blinked as he tilted his head curiously.

“…Excuse me?”

Sam pulled a face. “Nobody in the world has done everything. If you guys were bored with doing the same things over and over, then you should have found something else to do that didn’t involve getting into trouble. Sounds to me like your friends wanted to make other people’s lives difficult because they thought it would be funny, not because they couldn’t find anything else to do.”

Castiel was silent for a few moments before eventually nodding.

“…I think you may be right, Sam,” he murmured quietly and Sam quirked a smile.

“Which means you just need better friends. Like us.”

Dean nearly choked at his brother’s cheekiness and he was about to rebuff the young alpha when he was knocked off-guard by Castiel’s warm chuckle.

“I’d be honoured to have you both as my friends,” he smiled. “That would make me very happy.”

Sam grinned and Dean relaxed as Castiel pulled out his phone to call the taxi that would take them the rest of the way to the park.

They were dropped outside the gates and neither Winchester could keep still as they shifted from foot to foot with every scream, laugh and thunder of the rides inside the park. They looked away when they noticed Castiel watching them in amusement and the older alpha led them to the ticket booth, where he paid all three entrance fees.

“Where would you like to go first?” Asked Castiel as he handed a map to the brothers and both Winchesters shrugged.

“You’re the one who’s been here before. We’ll follow you,” said Sam and Castiel paused for a moment before an idea came to him.

“Very well. This way.”

 

* * *

 

They had been on six rides so far; rollercoasters, chair lifts, runaway trains and a simulation ride that reminded Dean of Star Wars. Now they were in the queue for a log flume that claimed to have a fifty-three degree drop, which would place it as the steepest log flume in the world. Castiel said the ride lasted for six minutes and was packed with lights and music to make it more entertaining.

As they reached the front of the queue, Dean suddenly found himself nervous. So far, the rides had been mild as Cas had mentioned he wanted to work them up to the larger thrills, but this ride was supposed to be one of the more exhilarating experiences in the park and Dean wasn’t sure he could face that steep drop.

The trio were led to a carriage and Dean noted with rising panic that they had to sit in a line from front to back, meaning he couldn’t even crush Sam’s hand on the drop. Sam practically jumped into the front seat and Dean and Cas followed behind. The safety bars clamped down with an ominous thunk and Dean felt trapped. The water gushed around the flume, loud and fast and Dean felt his breathing shallowing and his muscles begin to tense. Distantly, he could hear screams of terror from people further along on the ride and the omega really didn’t want to do this.

“Relax, Dean,” murmured Castiel from behind. “You’re perfectly safe. I promise.”

A gentle hand reached forwards and touched his shoulder, the alpha’s fingertips accidentally brushing his neck and both boys gasped at abrupt jerk of their souls towards one another. 

The reaction was far stronger than the time at the cinema and Dean realised it was twice as strong as what he felt when Crowley touched him. Strangely enough, it was more pleasurable too and Dean felt incredibly guilty for thinking that but it was true. Castiel’s touch was warm and reassuring and Dean honestly believed him when he said he was safe. He felt a lot calmer when Castiel reluctantly pulled away and Dean was startled to find he almost… missed the contact.

The staff signalled that the carriage was good to go and Dean turned slightly.

“Thanks, Cas,” he said softly without meeting the alpha’s gaze and from the corner of his eye he caught Castiel nodding. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied shakily and Dean offered him a genuine smile before he turned back around and the flume left the station.

The ride lived up to its expectations and the lights and music were mesmerising. The drop was intense and all three boys were lifted out of their seats for a few moments before the flume crashed through some deep water and soaked its riders. 

The three waddled off the ride and when they took a look at one another; each of them soggy and leaving puddles in their wake, they burst out laughing.

Sam knocked the water out of his ear and Castiel grinned.

“I know the perfect ride to get us dry.”

Neither Winchester was expecting a sixty-five-metre lift drop in the pitch black.

They were led to a ridiculously tall castle, complete with a drawbridge and staff dressed as knights and ghouls. Whilst in the queue, one of the knights lunged for them with a spear and both Winchesters yelped in surprise, making Castiel and the other guests laugh. Eventually, two dozen of them were taken into another dark room and were pushed into the seats lining the walls. They strapped themselves in and security bars locked into place from above.

The room was lit up with flashes of something that looked like lightning and thunder rumbled from above. Sam and Dean glanced over to Castiel to see if they could get an idea as to what was going to happen next, but Castiel remained stoic and just as the brothers relaxed into their seats, they were catapulted sixty-five metres into the air, faster than they could blink.

They jerked to a halt and neither brother could speak because they felt as if all the oxygen had just been squeezed out of their lungs. Before they had a chance to recover, they free-fell all the way back to the floor, only to be shot back up again.

The cycle continued a few more times before they came to an ironically gentle halt and all the safety bars were released as someone over the speakers bid them a cheery farewell and a pleasant day.

Sam and Dean staggered out of the room, momentarily blinded by the gleaming sunlight outside and they leaned against the wall to catch their breaths.

Castiel was infuriatingly unruffled as he watched them in amusement. 

“…That was awesome!” Grinned Sam, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Can we do that again? Please, please, please?”

“If you want to go on again, feel free,” panted Dean, his sense of balance still not fully returned. “But I’m going to wait for the blood to rush back to my head before I do anything else.”

Sam snickered before turning to Cas. “You coming?”

“I’ll wait here,” hummed Castiel. “Just to make sure your brother doesn’t keel over.”

Sam nodded, lips still quirked upwards and jogged back around to the entrance. “See you guys in a few minutes!”

“Are you alright?” Asked Castiel when the younger boy had disappeared and Dean nodded as he pulled himself upright.

“Now I know all my body parts are in the right places, I am. You were right though; I think I’m pretty dry now.”

Castiel chuckled softly and Dean could get used to the alpha’s quiet, secretive laugh. It lit his whole face in a bright smile and made him look quite handsome. Dean quickly shook the thought from his mind.

“As am I,” Castiel agreed. “Would you like a drink? I believe I saw a confectionary stand around the corner and I’m sure Sam will appreciate some hydration after another ride on _‘Mystery Castle’_.”

Dean nodded. “Sure.” He could do with a drink himself.

They made their way around the castle, chatting lightly as they walked, but just before they managed to reach the stand, a small group of young, cocky alphas about Cas and Dean’s age caught up to them.

One of them catcalled Dean as another reached over to squeeze his rear with a wolf whistle. Another blatantly leered at Dean as his friend mimed something disgusting involving his tongue and two fingers and the leering alpha smirked repulsively at the omega.

“Wouldn’t mind seeing your leaking hole, Princess.”

His friends jeered as Dean clenched his fists and another alpha was brave enough to stand in front of the omega and cup Dean’s crotch with an exaggerated groan, dodging out of the way when Dean swiped at him.

One alpha mimed knotting Dean, using his hand as a prop and as his friends laughed, he blew a kiss at the omega.

“You any good at sucking knots, pretty lips?”

“No, but I’m good at breaking faces,” growled Dean, but as he took a step forwards, Castiel placed himself between the omega and the group of idiotic alphas.

“You dare harass him even when he has an alpha by his side? Were you born stupid or is today a special day?” Castiel asked and the four alphas snorted, one mocking Cas with childish _‘Ooooooo’s’_.

“You’re his alpha?” Rumbled one teen threateningly as he stalked over to Cas, sizing him up. “You wanna fight, Baby blue? Wanna prove you can protect your precious omega?” He flicked his gaze over to the silently fuming Dean. “What do you think, Princess? Winner gets a go on your fat hole?”

Castiel bristled and shoved hard at the alpha’s chest. “Don’t speak to him like that,” he snarled and the other boy growled.

“Do you honestly think you’re a strong enough alpha to take on an omega like that?” Taunted the teen. “You can’t even protect yourself, never mind him. Why don’t you hand him over to someone who knows what they’re doing with a large omega? It’s not like you can beat me anyway; at least this way you can save yourself a broken nose.”

“I won’t let you touch him,” hissed Cas. “And I’m not just going to ‘hand him over’. He’d never want anything to do with someone as foul-mouthed as you and I’ll make sure he doesn’t have to deal with you again.”

The air around the two was beginning to clog up with threatening pheromones as each alpha prepared to fight one another, and Dean rolled his eyes at their posturing because they looked ridiculous, acting as though they were invading one each other’s territory.

In one fluid motion, he pushed past Castiel and swung his fist at the perfect angle into the other alpha’s jaw, instantly flooring him.

All five alphas stared at Dean in shock and the omega leaned close to the other teen’s face.

“I’m not an object, nor do I offer ‘free rides’ to knot-heads who think a street brawl champion is enough to make me swoon. You’d have more success trying to knot your alpha buddies over there.” Dean grinned sarcastically before straightening and without looking at Castiel, stormed towards the drink stand.

Before he could reach it, an uncertain hand caught his shoulder and Dean tried not to react when their skin brushed once more.

Castiel drew in a shaky breath. “Dean?” He asked tentatively. “Is everything alright?”

“Peachy,” grit out Dean. “Now did you want a drink or not? Sam’s going to be out soon.”

Castiel frowned as he deflated.

“I’ve offended you,” he stated. “Again.”

At the alpha’s seemingly lost look, Dean sighed and closed his eyes. He had to be patient with Castiel, he reminded himself. The alpha could learn, but someone had to be willing to teach him. He wasn’t being intentionally condescending.

“Do you know what you did wrong?” Dean tried and Castiel paused in hard contemplation.

“…I… I placed myself between you and him,” Cas said slowly, desperately trying to work through the situation in his mind. “I stopped you from standing up for yourself?” He asked timidly and Dean felt all the built-up anger and humiliation drain from his body.

“You’re almost right,” he replied patiently. “You treated me as though I was weaker than you just because I’m an omega. Not only that, but you both made me feel like I was an object. By saying things like you weren’t going to ‘hand me over’ to him and assuming my opinion on the matter, despite being right, makes me seem as though I can’t speak for myself. You told him he shouldn’t harass me because there was an alpha beside me, rather than because it’s degrading for an omega to be spoken of as if they’re just a pleasure toy.” Dean tilted his head. “Do you get what I’m trying to say?”

Castiel looked rather put out. “…I… I was trying to defend you,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to humiliate you. Please believe that wasn’t my intention.”

Dean finally quirked a small smile. “I know it wasn’t. And I get you were trying to stand up for me, but you went about it in the wrong way.”

Castiel frowned. “So, what should I have done? Should I not have interfered at all?”

Dean decided to be open with the alpha. It seemed the best way to get him to understand.

“Cas, every omega is different. Some may have been intimidated by a group of alphas catcalling them, but you know from past experience that I have no problem with trying to knock a few teeth out. This wasn’t like the time at the concert when those older alphas had me pinned. I needed help then, even if it was just a distraction, but these guys I could handle. What I’m saying is you’ve got to use your intuition. If it looks like I can handle myself, then I probably can; if things turn south, feel free to jump in.

“And when it comes to name-calling and ridiculing, I’m not going to complain if you want to stand up for me, but you’ve got to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes they’re making. Basically, don’t use stereotypes to back up an argument.”

Castiel looked dreadfully confused and Dean shook his head with a smile. “Okay, tell you what. Get a drink and as we’re walking around the park, I’ll explain it to you, okay?”

Cas nodded gratefully and Dean felt oddly hopeful. 

They grabbed three bottles of pop and made their way back to the exit of _‘Mystery Castle’_ , where Sam was waiting for them.

 

* * *

 

“So, what you’re saying is I should ignore genders altogether?” Asked Castiel after a couple of hours of rides and deep conversation. They were currently sat in a restaurant, eating a very late lunch and both Winchesters nodded with a smile. 

“Exactly,” grinned Sam.

“It’s stereotypes like the ‘weak, vulnerable omega’ and the ‘strong, knot-head alpha’ that are making things difficult for everyone,” added Dean. “I mean, how many times have people challenged you just because you’re an alpha and they think you want to fight everyone you meet? Well, it’s the same for omegas. People dismiss us because they think we’re too intimidated by everything to make our own decisions, when in reality that’s not the case.”

Cas nodded in understanding. “That would explain those teens’ behaviour earlier. They took my presence as a challenge rather than a warning and by me standing between you, they took it to mean you needed protection, so they thought you an easy target for their catcalling.”

Sam wrinkled his nose in disgust at the mention of the other alphas. He hadn’t been too pleased to learn his big brother had been involved in yet another brawl over his secondary gender, but Dean had explained that Cas was still trying to wrap his head around it, so the younger Winchester hadn’t yelled at the other alpha for saying and doing the things he had.

“They’re animals,” huffed Sam. “How can you treat someone as though they’re an object just because of their scent? How can you base your whole idea of a person’s character on what’s between their legs?”

Cas shook his head. “I’ve always been taught that the stereotypes are the basic personality every omega, beta and alpha has. Anything else was just an added extra for that person. I never contemplated that the stereotypes could be wrong.”

Dean frowned. “Surely you could see you weren’t like the stereotypical alpha though? You’re not interested in sports, but you’re happy to devote your time to the arts such as music and sketching; you don’t enjoy fighting and try to stay out of it; you aren’t interested in waving your knot about like a savage animal, and you’re far more intelligent than what most people believe alphas to be. Heck, you’re scent even has a hint of honey to it when alpha’s aren’t usually sweet.”

Sam shot him a weird look at that last sentence and Dean only realised what he’d said when Cas cocked an eyebrow. He flushed red and dropped his gaze as he contemplated why he knew what Castiel smelled like and why he’d thought it appropriate to bring it up. He idly wondered if he’d offended the alpha.

“Not that it’s not a nice scent,” he mumbled before flushing even darker. He was going to shut up now before he shoved his foot any further down his throat.

Castiel thankfully chose to ignore the comment even as Sam gaped at his brother.

“Honestly… I’ve always been taught that to be the perfect alpha, I had to try to be as much like the stereotype as possible. I’m beginning to question my parents’ advice on that now,” he murmured the last part as if the epiphany had only just struck him. “I don’t think I’d like a mate who followed the omega stereotype. I wouldn’t like to be with someone who couldn’t make decisions for themselves and was scared of every challenge they faced,” he admitted. “It would be rather to disturbing for someone to blindly follow my instructions without having any opinions themselves.”

Castiel frowned. “I don’t want a mate who would be intimidated by me.”

Sam and Dean smirked at each other as their lesson finally sunk in and Castiel glanced up at them.

“Thank you for being patient with me. I know it must be infuriating when I can’t grasp basic concepts such as treating everybody as equals.”

Sam and Dean frowned because that wasn’t fair. 

“Hey, it’s not your fault you’ve been raised a certain way,” shrugged Sam and Castiel raised an eyebrow.

“I should have learned how to treat people without offending them by now,” he pointed out and Dean pulled a face.

“True, but the fact you’re willing to listen to us proves that you’re not a bad guy. You can’t be expected to learn if nobody’s been willing to teach you.”

Castiel smiled softly. “Nonetheless, thank you. You have been very kind to me despite you certainly having better things to do with your time than teach me how not to humiliate people.”

Dean shook his head as he and Sam shared a look. “Actually, we’ve had a lot of fun. More than we’ve had in years and that’s thanks to you.”

“You have a good heart, Cas,” hummed Sam. “You’re just not very good at showing it.”

Castiel glanced at his lap, humbled by their praise. “I’m sorry for bullying you these past years, Dean. You didn’t deserve that and I have no idea why you gave me your time, but I’m grateful you did.” He looked up again and Dean was surprised at the sincere apology in his eyes. “I’m also sorry for the way I acted when our souls first twitched. I had no right to assume you would choose me as a potential mate after the way I treated you and considering my skewed views of society, it’s a good thing you didn’t.”

The alpha seemed to be struggling for words but he must have found them because eventually he sighed quietly and caught Dean’s gaze with a small smile. 

“I’m glad you’re with Crowley. You’re a good person and you deserve to be happy.”

Sam and Dean were stunned by the emotional outburst and Dean wondered what the brief, light fluttering in his chest meant when he locked gazes with bright ocean-blue eyes. 

“…Thanks, Cas,” Dean said after a moment, his throat oddly dry and there was a tense silence before Sam coughed. 

“Should we get going? There are loads of rides we haven’t been on yet.” 

Dean was grateful for the subject change and Castiel quickly paid the bill and they left the restaurant.

 

* * * 

 

“How was your day, dear?” Naomi asked as Castiel hung his coat up in the cloak room. It was nearing midnight and most of the family had retired to their rooms, but Naomi had stayed up to make sure her son returned home safely.

Castiel grinned excitedly.

“We had a lot of fun. Sam and Dean had never been to a proper theme park before and they wanted to try everything. We managed to do almost every ride, some of them twice and they were both so grateful for everything. I don’t think they get to visit many places and they kept thanking me for taking them. They’re really appreciative and they taught me lots of new things and we talked and laughed all day. 

“I’ve never had friends like them before, but they said they want to be my friends so I’m really happy because I thought it would be much harder than that, but they’re so kind and patient even when they have no reason to be after all the awful things I’ve said and done to Dean. They never take anything for granted either and it’s strange being around people who don’t have the money to do whatever they want, but I think I like it because they’re not constantly trying to compete with who did what and how much it cost. They appreciate the little things in life and they do their best to find fun where they can, like going to a rescue shelter and I never realised life could be like that.

“Oh! Also, did you know how much degradation omegas face on a daily basis? Just today, a bunch of teenagers started catcalling Dean and they even groped him! In public, out in broad daylight they actually had the nerve to molest him! It was disgusting and when I called them out on it, they just laughed and starting insulting him even more. Dean got the last laugh though, because he punched one of them square in the jaw and all the alphas were so shocked they didn’t do anything. They just watched him walk away. It was fantastic!”

Castiel shook his head with a fond smile. “Dean is such a strong, intelligent omega. He’s brave and loyal to his friends, and he’s so fiercely protective of Sam. Sam’s only thirteen and he’s protective of his brother but you can tell the way he looks at Dean, he thinks his big brother is the most amazing person in the world. Those brothers share the strongest bond I’ve ever seen. It’s uplifting to see a family who cares for one another so deeply.” Castiel’s smile faded. “But I’m not entirely convinced their father cares for them as much. I saw a large bruise on the side of Dean’s face today and I swear I spotted Sam rubbing his head a few times throughout the day as if it was sore. I… I hope he’s not…” he trailed off with a shake of his head.

“No, he’s their father. He couldn’t do anything like that to them.” He glanced at his mother, expecting her to reassure his fears, but it was clear Naomi hadn’t been paying much attention as she rearranged some of the cutlery.

“That’s nice, Castiel,” she hummed disinterestedly before focusing her suddenly bright gaze on him. “So, are you and Dean officially courting now? Are you planning to mate him in a couple of years, or are you thinking of ‘tying the knot’ when you turn eighteen?”

Castiel deflated.

“We’re not courting,” he said quietly. “He’s with Crowley.”

Naomi pursed her lips as a frown settled over her features. 

“You haven’t split them up yet?” She said disapprovingly. “I thought that was your plan?”

“I… I’ve changed my mind,” murmured Castiel. “Dean’s happy with Crowley. He didn’t choose me and I need to accept that.”

Naomi looked scandalised. “Castiel, what are you saying? Are you really contemplating letting your omega walk away with another alpha? You need to fight for what’s yours, not let someone walk away with your prize.”

Castiel screwed his nose up. “Dean’s not a prize. He deserves to be with the person he wants. He was never my omega and it took me far too long to realise that. Dean’s my friend and that’s enough.”

Naomi seemed disturbed and she glanced over Castiel warily, as if she wasn’t entirely certain that this was her son.

“Are you feeling well, dear? Should I call the doctor in the morning?”

“I’m fine,” Castiel frowned, feeling frustrated. How could he get his mother to understand that he was enjoying spending time with the Winchester brothers because he wanted to get to know them rather than because he felt an obligation to mate the eldest one?

“I think maybe you should go to bed,” huffed Naomi and Castiel was oddly disappointed that his mother didn’t seem to understand his feelings.

He nodded wordlessly and traipsed up to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the theme park I based this on is actually real! It's called Phantasialand and is located in Germany. Look it up!
> 
> Oh by the way, for any of you who were confused, 'pop' in England is the same as 'soda' in the USA (although I know you have many variations on the word depending on which state you're from). However 'soda' in England is 'soda water'.


	15. The Shift

They were in a restaurant. A very expensive one with lace-embroidered tablecloths and menus that were full of unpronounceable exotic dishes.

“Your finest white, please,” murmured Lucifer when the waiter approached. “Something refreshing and not too dry.”

“Of course, Sir.” The waiter bowed and glided away as Lucifer returned his gaze to his menu.

Gabriel rolled his eyes at a waitress who was staring at him in disgust. The restaurant was the type of place rich people went to impress other rich people and as such, the ladies wore jewel-bedazzled gowns, their necks weighed down by diamonds the size of small rocks and velvet gloves riding high on their arms, whilst the men wore delicate silk suits and top hats, ivory canes in their hands to display their wealth.

Lucifer was an example of this. He was wearing a tailored white _Armani_ suit, complete with waistcoat and tails, and to finish off the arrogant and overpriced aesthetic, the alpha had originally donned a white fedora, which he had handed to a staff member to take to the cloakroom when he had entered the building. His white suit made him stand out from the crowd and many customers had eyed him up in appreciation when he had strolled through the door, each wondering who had the pleasure of accompanying this obviously perfect specimen of an alpha to such an exquisite establishment.

Then Gabriel had stepped through the door in a pair of jeans and a leather jacket.

They were nice jeans; black ones with no worn bits or holes and the leather jacket was a present from Mick when the alpha had travelled on a business trip to Austria, but the other customers didn’t seem to see it that way and they immediately sneered at Gabriel, some tutting in disapproval and others snickering at him behind their menus.

Lucifer hadn’t made any effort to rebuff the staff who turned their nose up at Gabriel, nor had he even stood by the omega’s side to lead him to the table. The alpha had just strolled ahead without sparing his potential soulmate a glance.

That only served to solidify Gabriel’s views on the shallow, rude alpha and he was glad he’d caused a scene because that meant it would be easier to embarrass Lucifer on the little outing Gabriel had had to cancel a night with his friends because of. Lucifer hadn’t even given him a choice in the matter; he’d been told they were going out for a meal and that was that.

Well, Gabriel was going to make the alpha regret that decision.

The waiter wandered back over to their table to take their food orders and he was surprised that Lucifer was asked for his order first. Usually etiquette stated the omega was supposed to be asked first, but apparently his less-than-acceptable attire had been too horrific for the waiter to lay his eyes upon.

“We’ll have the soup to start. Then I will take the lamb and the omega will have the salmon salad,” said Lucifer and Gabriel blinked. 

Salad? Hold up.

“No, I don’t think so. I’ll have the duck à l’orange, thank you very much,” Gabriel cut in and Lucifer gave him a sharp warning look as the waiter raised an eyebrow.

“Salad, thank you,” Lucifer corrected. “He needs to watch his figure.”

“Very good, Sir,” the waiter agreed before whirling around without looking at Gabriel and the omega bristled.

“Are you serious?” Hissed Gabriel and Lucifer flicked his unimpressed gaze over to him.

“Deadly,” he drawled. “Omegas should be soft, delicate, graceful… the only box you tick is the ‘soft’ part and that’s because it’s around your middle.”

Gabriel grit his teeth. “Well aren’t you just a _charming_ alpha? First you drag me to a ridiculously over-priced, elitist restaurant I never wanted to experience in my life, let alone on a Saturday night that I should have spent playing games and chatting with my friends. Then you expect me to follow you around like a lost puppy as you walk five steps ahead of me. Next you address me not by ‘Gabriel’ or ‘friend’, but by a degrading ‘omega’ as you order things for me that I neither want nor like, and to top it all off you call me ‘fat’! You’re certainly a catch, aren’t you?”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

“You have done nothing but embarrass me in our time of knowing one another. You've hit me, shouted insults at me, humiliated me in front of my parents and yet I still had the good graces to take you out, despite your behaviour being wholly repulsive for that of an omega. Even tonight you've managed to make a mockery of both of us by insisting on wearing those awful clothes despite me informing you of this place’s expectations.

“So, I _will_ order for you because I’m your alpha and apparently I can’t trust you to make decisions for yourself, and I will address you as ‘omega’ because you need to remember your place.”

Gabriel growled in a very alpha-like manner, startling some of the other customers and staff and making Lucifer narrow his eyes even further.

“If you continue to treat me like an animal, then I will act like one,” threatened Gabriel lowly and Lucifer crossed his arms.

“Enough of these childish ideas, Gabriel. I’m not treating you like an animal; I’m treating you like an omega, _which you are._ ”

Gabriel rumbled a little louder and it shocked a few of the surrounding customers and staff, some of them muttering and shaking their heads in offence.

“You’re treating me like a dog!” Gabriel snapped. “A slave! Someone who'll come to you at your every beck and call; someone who'll follow your instructions blindly because they can’t have their own opinions. I’m not that type of omega, Lucifer, and I never will be. I won’t let you get away with treating me like that and if you continue to try, you’ll regret it. I have no problems with causing a scene.”

Lucifer clenched his fists. “Behave, Gabriel. I’ve done nothing to warrant your anger; this is how most alphas treat their omegas and if you can’t see that then you must be blind.”

“No, this is how your family and friends treat their omegas,” snarled Gabriel. “This is how the rich and traditional, pure-blood families treat their omegas; as if they’re barely human. My friends would never belittle and condescend omegas in such ways because if they did, I wouldn’t be friends with them! You’re so far removed from society and you’re so up each other’s backsides that you haven’t realised times have changed! Omegas are not things you hang up behind the door when you’re bored with them, only to talk to them again when you want a quick knot! We are not objects of entertainment for crude, disgusting alphas like you. We can think and feel; we have emotions and ambitions. We are not simply servants to look after you and for you to boss around!”

More people were beginning to scowl at Gabriel as his voice raised and some staff looked as though they were ready to intervene, but Lucifer’s deep growl made them freeze. The alpha was intimidating at the best of times; he was tall and very strong and he constantly looked as though he was calculating ways to best hurt people, but when he was angry, he looked utterly terrifying.

“Shut up, omega. Nobody cares about your activist views. When you’re with me, you will behave as is expected of you. You will bow your head and you will only speak when spoken to. You will wear what I tell you to wear, you will eat what I tell you to eat and when we’re mated, you will quit your job and stay at home. You will raise our children and look after the house and you won’t complain because if you do, you will be punished as is my right as your alpha. Do you understand?” Hissed Lucifer and their audience nodded in approval, some smirking and it irked Gabriel that even the omegas in the room seemed to think this was normal and perfectly acceptable.

“I understand completely, _alpha,_ ” growled Gabriel. “And I hope you understand that I will fight you every step of the way. When I bow my head, I’ll be planning ways to hurt you. When I wear the clothes you choose, I will tear them and soil them to humiliate you. When I quit my job, I’ll resent you for taking my friends away from me. I’ll destroy our home because it will remind me of you and I’ll raise our children to detest you and you’ll be able to do nothing about it because you’ll be too busy at work to notice until it’s too late.

“You may force me to mate with you, but you will never have a family because I’ll take it away from you and there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” seethed Gabriel and Lucifer suddenly grabbed the omega by the collar and dragged him out of the restaurant, dropping three one-hundred dollar bills on the table before he left.

When they were outside, Lucifer threw Gabriel into a dark side-alley and pinned him against the wall.

“I can treat you however I please,” snarled Lucifer. “You are nothing. You’ll always be nothing. Nobody cares what happens to you and I certainly don’t. I can have any omega I desire; you’re just another name on my knotting list and when I grow bored of you, I’ll throw you away, just like I did with the others.”

Gabriel snorted. “Newsflash, bucko. Those omegas dumped you. Is it any wonder why?”

Lucifer’s grip around Gabriel’s throat tightened and the omega was dismayed to find his arms were pinned above his head by the alpha’s other hand.

“You think you’re clever by publicly insulting me, but you’re the one who’s going to end up in a bad place. I can do anything I like to you and you can’t stop me,” whispered Lucifer and Gabriel suddenly got a sinking feeling in his gut. He’d always pitied the omegas on the NEWS who had to retell their stories of being forced to present in front of alphas they wanted nothing to do with, and it seemed like his situation was very quickly heading down that path.

Still, he wouldn’t show fear in front of Lucifer.

“Great. Go ahead. Do what all alphas do when they can’t get their own way; use brute force to make me submit. Knot me because you think I deserve it for stating my opinions; for wanting to be treated like a human being. Prove that you’re the animal I always knew you were,” he spat.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes in disgust and Gabriel steeled himself for being thrown onto the floor and his jeans ripped from him.

“I’m not a rapist,” growled Lucifer. “And if you ever call me one in public again, I’ll hurt you.”

He shoved Gabriel to the floor. “Believe it or not, I’ve only ever mated Meg and she asked me to mate her before she decided she didn’t want me any longer. I have never forced anyone to mate with me, so keep your revolting thoughts to yourself.”

Gabriel blinked in shock before his gaze hardened again.

“Good for you. You know how not to get a criminal record.” Still, it was a relief to know Lucifer wouldn’t force him to present. Gabriel wasn’t stupid; he knew alphas often got off with the horrific deed because they claimed ‘their rut made them do it’ or ‘the omega’s heat made them do it’, regardless of whether there was a heat or rut involved and despite everyone knowing if they tried, omegas and alphas could fight their biology and didn’t have to let instincts take over.

Lucifer snorted and crossed his arms. They both knew it was more than likely Lucifer wouldn’t be sentenced if he decided to knot Gabriel in that moment.

“What does your family think of your behaviour? Surely they raised you better than this. Is that why you’ve never introduced me to them? Because they so disappointed in you they ceased all contact with you?” Taunted Lucifer and Gabriel laughed bitterly.

“The reason I’ve never introduced you to my parents is simple. They’re dead.”

Lucifer paused and Gabriel looked up coldly. 

“There was a fire,” he said by way of explanation. “They didn’t survive and I was taken to an orphanage. So I don’t have parents.”

Gabriel’s face was void of emotions as he climbed to his feet and Lucifer seemed to be struggling to speak because his eyes were wide and stunned as he watched the omega.

“But thank you for bringing up those painful memories. Really appreciate it.” Gabriel knew that wasn’t really fair because Lucifer hadn’t known, but he had never bothered to ask about his potential soulmate or his life either, so he didn’t feel guilty. Especially with the way Lucifer had so far treated him.

“…If that’s supposed to make me feel sorry for you,” began Lucifer and Gabriel rolled his eyes. There was the heartless alpha he’d been expecting.

“It’s not. Just thought I’d inform you as to why I can’t uphold tradition and introduce you to my parents so you can attempt to impress them and ask for my father’s permission to mate me without my consent,” snapped Gabriel before stalking away, heart aching and terrible memories replaying over and over in his mind.

Lucifer didn’t follow him.

 

* * *

 

In hindsight, it had been obvious John would find out Sam and Dean had left the house. 

They had been gone for twelve hours afterall.

So now, not only were Sam and Dean grounded, they were also confined to their rooms until they learned to “obey orders”. 

Other than being incredibly bored, Dean hadn’t really had much to complain about; staying in his room just meant he could keep out of his father’s way and he could still call Crowley or text his friends if he wanted social interaction. It’s not like he and Sam couldn’t sneak into one another’s rooms when John was passed out from alcohol anyway.

That all changed on the fifth night of their sentence.

Dean’s full transformation into an omega had finally begun and that meant a lot of pain in places Dean didn’t know he had (and probably hadn’t had up until that point).

It was his second day of suffering and John had already been up a couple of times to tell him to ‘shut up’ and Dean had wanted to snarl at his dad; yell that he had no idea how much agony it was to have all your organs shift inside you to make way for reproductive tracts and new holes that meant old structures had to be split in half or destroyed. John could never understand. He had merely developed a knot on an organ that was already there; he hadn’t suffered half the agony Dean was going through right now.

He briefly wondered if female alphas suffered a similar torture.

Then a wave of excruciating agony crashed through his body and Dean whined loudly. Something thumped his floor and Dean realised John had thrown something at the living room ceiling in irritation. 

Dean had half a mind to thump back.

He cried out as a horrible burning sensation ripped through the lower part of his body and he curled up on his bed, suddenly wishing there was someone with him to comfort him.

He knew Sam had an important test in the morning and since it was one a.m. already, Dean didn’t want to disturb his brother. He clutched his stomach tighter and stared at his phone for a few seconds before reaching for it with a grimace as the space between his legs felt like it was being torn in half (which technically, it was).

“Crowley?” Dean breathed when someone picked up on the other end and a familiar husky voice replied, sounding very alert considering the time.

“Dean? Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

 _‘Shouldn’t you?’_ Dean thought before shaking his head.

“Can’t. It’s started.”

“What’s started?”

“Y’know, the thing,” Dean whimpered as his body convulsed. “The change.”

“The Shift?” Crowley asked, suddenly understanding. That’s what everybody called it when the physical transformation into alpha, beta or omega occurred. Usually it took place around about the start of puberty, so the whole body didn’t have to suffer through two difficult changes and there was less chance of primary and secondary gender hormones clashing with each other. Dean however, just had to be different and now his fully developed male hormones and anatomy were fighting against his new omega hormones and anatomy and instead of growing together like they should have, they were now battling it out to see which should dominate.

Dean groaned as his stomach contacted again. He just wanted someone to hold him.

“It hurts,” he whimpered, uncaring if he was acting every bit the weak, needy omega stereotype he so fiercely hated. He just wanted his alpha.

“I’m sorry, Dean, but you’re just going to have to endure the pain a little longer. It’ll be over soon, I promise.”

It could be two weeks before this was over. Two weeks of no school, no friends, no anything except the dull, gloomy walls of his bedroom. He could barely reach the bathroom because it was too painful to walk anywhere.

“Listen, Dean. I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to go. I’ve got some business to attend to and it’s important.” Crowley’s words made ice settle in Dean’s gut. No, the alpha couldn’t just leave him alone when he was in so much pain; they'd only just started talking. He needed some sort of distraction.

“But… it’s one in the morning. What could you possibly have to do so late?” Dean asked and there was a small pause before Crowley apologised again.

“I’m sorry Dean, it really is urgent. Try to get some rest.”

Dean’s face fell in disappointment before he shook his head. He was behaving like a child; Crowley had his own life, he couldn’t answer to Dean’s every beck and call, especially at such ridiculous times in the morning when the alpha had school that day.

“Right, of course. Sorry. I’ll leave you to it. Hope you have a good day tomorrow,” murmured Dean softly, shoulders slumping when the phone clicked off at the other end without so much as a _‘goodnight’._

His crotch burned and he tried to curl himself into a tighter ball with another little cry.

He so desperately wanted someone to comfort him. Even just someone to talk to.

He didn’t really know what possessed him to do it, but before he could think about it, he’d dialed Cas’ number.

A sleepy voice answered. “Dean?”

“Did I wake you up?” Dean asked, mentally berating himself. Of course Cas had been asleep; he had class in the morning.

“Yes, but it must be important if you called me at…” Cas trailed off, presumably to look at the clock. “One-fifteen.”

Dean grimaced. “I’m sorry, Cas. It’s not. Don’t really know why I called you.” He stifled a groan as something felt like it was trying to burst through his stomach. “Guess I just couldn’t sleep,” he said, voice strained. “I’ll let you get back to bed.”

Dean could practically hear the frown in Cas’ voice. 

“You sound hurt,” the alpha stated. “Dean, what’s happened?”

“It’s nothing. Sorry I disturbed you. I- ” Dean broke off into a whine and Cas’ horrified _“Dean?!”_ was enough to make him spill the truth.

“I’m shifting. It’s finally happening,” he grated out and it felt as if someone had taken a blade to his crotch. “Everything hurts,” he whimpered, biting back a sob and there was some shuffling from the other end of the line.

“Is there anyone with you?” Cas asked concernedly and Dean released a soft cry as he rushed to cup the space between his legs.

“No,” he choked out. “Cas, it hurts so much.” He was practically begging now, but he didn’t know what for.

“Give me your address, Dean,” ordered Castiel. “You shouldn’t be alone if you’re facing that much pain.”

Dean nearly protested, but after another sob-inducing wave of agony, he quickly relayed his address and whimpered when the line went dead.

He was exhausted, but the pain was too great to allow him to sleep, so he curled up under his covers and ignored the loneliness in his chest and the cool dampness forming on his pillows.

Half an hour later there was a soft knock at his front door and Dean felt an unreasonable surge of hope that Cas had actually decided to come to his house rather than go back to bed like he’d assumed the alpha would do once he’d put the phone down. Afterall, it was the twilight hours and Cas couldn’t drive; he hadn’t really expected the alpha to visit him just because he was going through a little bit of pain. It’s not like they were best friends either, was it?

 _“Get off my property, punk!”_ Snarled John. _“And stay away from my son! He doesn’t need any more slimy alphas wanting to breed him up!”_

Dean startled and his heart leapt to his throat when he heard a gunshot.

He scrambled to his window to see a young raven-haired boy sprinting away from the house and he let out a relieved sigh when he realised the boy seemed uninjured, even though his heart was sinking at the thought he was still alone.

Still, he couldn’t believe Castiel had come all this way to see him, even if he had been kicked off the porch.

Dean settled back into his bed with a whine and curled up again, hoping to get some rest. He shot upright when he heard his phone ring.

“…Cas?” He asked and the alpha’s gravelly tone greeted him.

“I can’t get through your front door. Are there any other ways in?”

Dean blinked, heart skipping a beat. “Window?”

“Which one?”

“Nearest the drainpipe. Right side.”

The phone went dead again and Dean stared at it for a few moments before he heard someone shuffling around outside. A couple of minutes later, a raven head and two startlingly blue eyes popped over the window ledge and Dean limped over to open the window. Castiel slid through and shut it behind him before glancing over Dean.

He frowned at the amount of sweat coating the omega’s body and the agony behind his eyes, and his nostrils flared at the clear scent of omega in pain.

Dean was having a different experience. There was an alpha in his room; one that had been so concerned about him he had travelled all the way to his house, probably by bus, at one in the morning despite him having school the next day and had not given up trying to be with him even when he’d had a warning bullet fired right in front him.

He also smelled amazing. Like honey and burnt charcoal.

Castiel staggered backwards when Dean latched onto him, burying his nose into his neck and scenting deeply and the alpha blinked in shock when their souls jerked violently towards one another.

“…Dean?” He asked tentatively, unsure as to what was expected of him and Dean quickly realised his mistake and pulled away with wide eyes.

“I’m so sorry. I… I have no idea what came over me. I didn’t mean to- ” he broke off into a tortured groan and his legs began to buckle. Before he had a chance to fall though, Castiel was pulling him to his chest.

“You need to lie down,” the alpha murmured concernedly and Dean had to restrain himself from cuddling into Cas. The alpha was so soft.

Cas manoeuvred him into bed and tucked him under the covers with a gentleness that would have made Dean feel like a baby had it been under different circumstances, but as his stomach flared with pain again and Castiel moved to sit on the floor, giving Dean some space, the omega whimpered.

He didn’t want space. He wanted to be held.

“Lie with me?” Dean pleaded softly, embarrassedly and Cas glanced at him, stunned.

“…Are you sure?”

“Please,” mumbled Dean. “Just… I want someone to… I want you to…” He couldn’t get the words out but Cas seemed to understand anyway because he carefully stood and slowly slipped into bed with Dean. 

The bed was only a single and neither of them were little, meaning Cas ended up being pressed against Dean, arms stiff by his sides as he wondered what to do with them.

Face burning with humiliation but pain too great to really care, Dean cautiously snuggled into Cas, wrapping his arms lightly around the alpha’s waist as he subtly inhaled that comforting scent.

Dean’s heart fluttered when Castiel gingerly wrapped his arms around him and as they cuddled closer, Cas’ presence soothing the ache of being in pain alone, Dean released a small purr.

They both froze and Dean flushed darker at the typical sound an omega released when they felt safe, because this was not Crowley and Dean shouldn’t be producing those sorts of sounds around random alphas.

…Not that he’d ever purred around Crowley either.

Dean would’ve frowned at that realisation but he was quickly distracted by Cas’ fingers tangling into his hair and the alpha tugging him closer as he rumbled soothingly and stroked his back.

Dean shouldn’t have liked that comforting sound of alpha reassurance coming from Cas, but he did and he purred again, tucking his head under Castiel’s chin.

Cas nuzzled his hair gently, continuing to rumble quietly and Dean couldn’t help but squeeze the alpha tighter. He didn’t know why he was suddenly acting so needy and submissive, but he didn’t care because he felt so safe and looked after in Cas’ arms. 

His crotch erupted in pain and he whimpered, making Cas whine softly in distress and the omega nuzzled the alpha’s throat when Cas curled around him protectively.

Their souls were practically dancing because they were holding one another and Dean liked the joy it made him feel. His soul was happy because it was near its match and in turn, that was making Dean relax into Castiel’s chest, previous pain dimming slightly.

“Tell me what to do,” murmured Cas as he nosed at Dean’s hair. “Tell me how to make the pain go away.”

“Just keep holding me,” whispered Dean, purring again when Castiel bared his throat for him to scent, and the alpha immediately responded with an answering rumble.

“I take it you’re not going to school tomorrow,” hummed Cas as he massaged Dean’s scalp and the omega shook his head. 

“Are you going to be alone?”

Dean nodded. “Sammy’s at school and Dad’s working.”

Castiel frowned. What kind of father left their son alone when he was going through so much suffering?

“Then I’ll stay with you,” Castiel murmured before pausing. “…That is, if you want me to?”

Dean pulled away slightly to look at him and the alpha almost whined at the loss of contact. He’d been enjoying that.

“You have school,” Dean pointed out and Castiel shrugged.

“Technically, so do you.”

“I can’t ask you to play hooky for me.”

“Good, because I’m offering.”

“…Cas…”

The alpha chuckled and pulled Dean to his chest again as he resumed petting his hair.

“I’ll take that as a yes; you want me to stay.”

Dean snuggled back into the alpha with a happy smile.

“Did I ever tell you how awesome you are?” He yawned after a few moments, wrapping his arms back around Castiel. 

Cas grinned as he curled back around the omega.

“Because you are,” hummed Dean contentedly. “You came all the way out here in the middle of the night just to hold me because I’m in a tiny bit of pain. And you let me scent you and you do that little happy rumble thing I like so much.” He nuzzled Cas’ throat. “And you smell so good. You have no idea how safe I feel around you and I just want to lie in your arms forever.” Dean purred again as he tucked his head under the alpha’s chin.

Cas paused. “…You have no idea what you’re saying, do you?”

“Hm?” Dean said, half asleep and Castiel stifled a laugh.

“Alright, Dean. Get some rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Good,” smiled Dean as he cuddled into the alpha. “You really are amazing, though. Gentle and considerate. And you make everything hurt a little less.”

Cas’ face fell in sympathy and he held the omega a little closer. 

“Sleep, Dean,” he whispered.

With another purr and a cuddle of his newfound favourite pillow, Dean’s world faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe whoops... my hand slipped ;)


	16. Revelations

This was worse than a hangover. 

At least in a hangover, you couldn’t remember all the mistakes and bad decisions you’d made the previous night and the effects of the alcohol were starting to wear off.

That morning, Dean had awoken to the knowledge of all the embarrassing things he’d said to Castiel last night; all the things he’d done, and his lower half was still in agony.

Oh, and he was pressed up against Cas, back to chest, head tucked under his chin and the alpha’s arms wound tightly around him, one hand spread protectively over his aching stomach.

He was too ashamed to move and wake the alpha. What would Castiel say? Would the alpha believe he didn’t really know why he’d said all those things last night? Why he’d purred as he’d snuggled against Cas? Would he think Dean wanted a relationship?

And what about Crowley? Was this considered cheating? He was literally lying in bed with another alpha. He supposed he didn’t need to tell the other alpha anything, but that just felt like he was keeping secrets and he didn’t want a relationship where they couldn’t trust each other.

He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

“Is everything alright, Dean? You’re very tense,” came a soft voice as something nuzzled the back of his head. “Is it because of the pain?”

Cas began to rub slow, soothing circles over his stomach and Dean internally cursed himself when he leaned back against the alpha in encouragement. He needed to ask Cas to leave but the pain was fading slightly and he didn’t really want the alpha to stop.

Castiel seemed quite content to lie behind Dean quietly, rubbing his stomach and nuzzling his hair and Dean was torn between moving away from the alpha or just accepting the mess he’d got himself into and enjoying the comforting touches.

“About last night...” began Dean eventually, his guilt and shame winning out and Castiel paused for a second before continuing his soothing circles.

“It was the pain coupled with the sudden scent of an alpha and a desire for comfort that made you ask me to hold you. After that, our souls became rather lively, our scents were strengthened due to our proximity to one another and your pain combined together to make you slightly delirious, so you weren’t entirely in control of what you were saying or doing,” murmured Castiel. “I’m entirely aware that this means nothing.”

Dean snapped his mouth shut. That had been easy. Still, he didn’t like the way Cas’ explanation made it sound as if he was using the alpha without having any intentions of thanking him or being appreciative.

“I don’t desire anything out of this,” hummed Cas as if reading his mind. “I came here because I didn’t want you to suffer alone, but I must admit this is very enjoyable to me. I very much wish you weren’t in pain, but I confess that such intimate contact such as a hug is foreign to me and I’ve decided I like it. 

“Like I said, I’m not asking nor expecting anything out of you, Dean, but please don’t be ashamed by the things you said last night; I know you weren’t really in control of your words. However, if you’re still in so much agony, I will ask if you could just relax and ignore how strange this is in favour of letting me comfort you. I wish to at least attempt to make the pain a little more bearable.”

Dean blinked. That had been _really_ easy. He’d expected Cas to protest a little about how, despite them being so cuddly with one another, Dean still wanted Crowley even though Cas had been the one who’d run to his house at one in the morning and offered to stay off school to make sure Dean wasn’t alone.

He concentrated on how good it felt to have Cas’ warm body moulded around his back and his arms curled around him protectively as a hand soothed the pain in his stomach. He focused on the alpha’s comforting scent and the way he was gently nosing at his hair in an effort to calm Dean and, coupled with the knowledge that Cas was enjoying the contact despite being adamant about wanting nothing out of it other than to be there for Dean, the omega finally allowed himself to relax.

It’s not like he wasn’t enjoying the contact himself, he just felt as if he shouldn’t, considering this wasn’t his alpha.

Still, Castiel was his friend.

And wasn’t that a sentence he’d never thought himself contemplating?

Cas smiled when Dean leaned into him and the alpha tightened his grip, rumbling happily. Dean quirked his lips at the sound and couldn’t help but tease him with a soft purr. Cas rumbled again, seemingly uncaring of the fact the sound was supposed to be reserved for people he was close to, like a lover or a family member, and began to scent at Dean’s neck.

Dean froze for a second before coming to the conclusion he was already lying in bed with the alpha, wrapped up in his arms, so he rolled over and cautiously bared his throat.

Cas made a soft grunt of delight and scented at his throat, hands tugging Dean against his body again and Dean chuckled as he slipped his arms around the alpha’s waist and back.

“You’ve never had a hug before?” Dean murmured after a few minutes and Cas hummed.

“I’ve had hugs from my parents when I was very young, and possibly from my brothers when I was even younger, although I can’t remember, but as I grew older I was taught alphas shouldn’t partake in close physical contact such as a hug. My parents said it makes me look weak and needy and dependent on someone else. They said I shouldn’t need comfort because as an alpha I should be the one giving it.”

Dean screwed his nose up. “That’s messed up. A hug doesn’t make you look weak; it could just be a sign of friendship.”

“I realised that last night,” mumbled Castiel before frowning. “I realised a lot of things last night and I’m beginning to think my parents and brothers have been wrong about quite a few things. When I contemplate some of the lessons they’ve taught me over the years, I wonder why I listened to them at all. After all you and Sam have shown me, I’m rather ashamed of allowing myself to become the alpha my parents and brothers wanted me to be.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. This was unexpected.

“What kind of lessons did they teach you?”

Cas was quiet for a few moments. “Well, when I was fourteen, I had a friend who hadn’t presented. His name was Balthazar and we had practically grown up together. We did everything together, went everywhere together and it was inevitable we’d form a crush on one another. We knew we weren’t soulmates because I would’ve made him present, but we didn’t care. We started a relationship and we had fun even if my parents didn’t really approve. 

“Then one day, Balthazar presented as an alpha. We were both disappointed but we agreed it didn’t matter and we continued our relationship. His parents didn’t mind; thought we suited one another and I just never got around to telling my parents Balthazar had presented. It didn’t seem important. 

“Obviously, I was wrong because when Mother and Father found me kissing another alpha, they dragged me away from him and forbade me from seeing him again. They told me it was deeply wrong for two alphas to do what we’d been doing because people would laugh at us; shun us because we were so disgusting. They told me we’d be ridiculed, ignored, kicked out of public places because we were a bad influence on younger children, amongst other things.

“I was so upset, I asked how did I make things right again, and they told me I had to stop being friends with Balthazar. I had to make sure he wouldn’t like me anymore and then I wouldn’t be able to see him again. So, the next morning, when Balthazar came to ask if I was okay, I told him I hated him. I told him he was a disgusting abomination because he liked another alpha. I told him I’d never really wanted him but I had pitied him so I’d just gone along with everything, but now I was bored of him and didn’t want to be his friend anymore.

“He was crying by the time I’d finished. He yelled at me and ran away. I never saw him again. Turns out he’d moved schools.” Cas closed his eyes regretfully. “My parents were proud. Said I’d done the right thing and they told me that next time I wanted to court someone, I had to make sure my soul reacted to them first, otherwise it wasn’t acceptable.”

Dean’s eyes were wide. “That’s a horrible lesson,” he breathed. “Who teaches their kid that they can’t love their best friend just because they have the same secondary gender? Who teaches a kid to break someone’s heart just because their souls weren’t reacting to each other? Heck, they may even have reacted later on!”

Cas chuckled hollowly. “I realised that months later. But by then it was too late. He was gone and I never got to apologise to him.”

Dean released a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Cas. That sucks. I mean that really sucks. I’ve gotta ask… why did you ever listen to your parents again after that?”

Cas shrugged. “They were the only people I could look up to aside from my brothers. I’d lost my best friend and my other friends were wary of me after that, so I didn’t really have anyone else to talk to. My family told me I needed to make new friends and they advised me to find people who were more like me, so I slowly created a group that included the likes of Alistair, Uriel and Ruby. My parents approved because they knew their parents and therefore knew they were wealthy, like us and nothing else really mattered because they just assumed we’d all fit together.”

Dean was silent for a few moments. 

“No offense, Cas, but you have really crappy friends.”

Castiel grinned. “That’s not entirely true. I have two very good ones.”

Dean blinked before realisation settled in and he felt his cheeks heating up.

“Uh… thanks,” he mumbled quietly, before squeezing the alpha gently. “Y’know… I could introduce you to Jo and Charlie and my friends when I get back to school? It might be a little difficult getting them to trust you, but they’re good people; loyal, funny, clever… I think you’d like them.” He shifted slightly. “And I think… if they got to know you… the _real_ you… I think they’d like you too.”

Cas’ face brightened with joy and Dean couldn’t help but smile with him.

“I’d like that very much, Dean,” murmured Cas and the omega grinned before carefully tucking his head back under the alpha’s. He liked this position. 

Dean’s heart fluttered when Cas’ hand tangled into his hair.

“Dean, can I ask… the bruise on your face the other day… the way your father behaves… is there… it there anything going on there?” Cas asked cautiously and Dean tensed for a second before exhaling deeply.

John had fired a bullet over this alpha’s head. He deserved an explanation.

“I didn’t trip on the stairs,” mumbled Dean. “My dad caught me and Sammy sneaking out and when he found out I was going to see another alpha that wasn’t Crowley, he told me I couldn’t leave because I was only going out to service the local alphas. Sam stood up for me and Dad tried to hit him so I stepped in the way. It didn’t matter, Dad hit us both anyway and grounded us for lying and disrespecting him.”

Castiel bristled and Dean noticed the way his grip had tightened slightly. Eventually Cas forced himself to relax.

“Is he always like that? Does he always imply that you’re… pleasuring various alphas?”

Dean buried his face into Cas’ throat as he nodded ashamedly.

“And does he regularly abuse you? Physically and verbally?”

“Sammy too,” Dean agreed softly and the omega was surprised at the low growl that escaped Cas’ throat.

“You’re his sons,” rumbled Cas with a scowl. “How can he treat you like that? How can he hit his own sons? You’ve done nothing to deserve that.”

Dean was surprised at the fierceness in the alpha’s words. Castiel seemed honestly offended that John could hurt them and the omega was oddly touched by this show of caring.

“Why haven’t you told anyone?” Asked Cas. “The authorities or child protection?”

Dean shrugged. “If I tell anyone they’ll just take me and Sammy away. This is my home. I have friends here; I have a life here; Sammy has a life here. That’ll all be taken away from us if we tell anyone. And besides… he’s still my dad.”

Cas sagged. “But, Dean… he’s hurting you. You can’t just put up with that.”

“Sure I can,” commented Dean. “Have been for years. Besides, as soon as Sammy goes to college, we can both get out of here.”

Cas blinked. “Wait, aren’t you going to college?”

“And leave Sam alone with our dad? No chance. It’s okay, he’s not as bad when he’s sober. It’ll only be a few years anyway.”

Cas’ face fell. “You can’t keep putting up with this. You shouldn’t have to endure his constant degradation of you. You shouldn’t have to keep facing all this humiliation.”

Dean frowned. He didn’t understand why Cas was putting up such a fuss about this; Crowley had never protested so vehemently. He was fine, really.

“I’m okay, Cas. We both are. We just tend to stay out of his way. It’s pretty easy when he’s drunk.”

Castiel scowled. “Promise me if he ever hits either of you again, you’ll call me.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “And what will that achieve? What are you going to do?”

Cas shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to do something. I can’t sit by knowing you’re being abused. I mean, you could come to my house to get away from it all?”

Dean snorted. “Right, because your family would be thrilled with that.”

“Then I’ll come to yours!” Cas was sounding more and more distressed by the second. “I’ll distract your father long enough for you to escape! I’ll fight him if I have to!”

Dean pulled away to stare at the stressed alpha. 

“You’re the closest friend I’ve had in a long time, Dean. I can’t lose you,” whispered Cas and Dean’s chest felt all light and airy. He gulped, throat suddenly dry as he nodded.

“Okay, Cas. I’ll call you if anything happens. I promise.” His soul had just jerked more violently towards Castiel’s than usual and if the alpha’s gulp was anything to go by, he’d just had a similar experience.

Instead of moving away like Dean was certain he should have done, he pressed back into the alpha, snuggling into his chest as Castiel released a shaky breath and tangled his fingers into his hair again.

Dean’s stomach was beginning to burn and Castiel heard his quiet whine. He gently rolled Dean onto his back, one arm still wrapped around him as his other hand started up its slow, soothing circles over his belly.

Cas carefully curled around the omega and Dean whimpered in pleasure. He’d never felt so cared for by someone outside of his brother.

“Are you really going to stay off school today?” Dean asked quietly, hopefully and Cas nodded.

Dean pulled the alpha closer. 

“Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter but no less important! Hope you enjoyed!


	17. Netflix and cuddle

“I’m sorry, Dean, I’d love to come visit you but I really can’t. There’s a lot going on right now and I’m needed here. I’m so sorry, but I promise once things ease up a little, I’ll come see you. We should be done in about a week,” murmured Crowley down the phone and Dean scowled as he placed a hand over his agonising stomach. He hadn’t seen the alpha at all throughout the ten days he’d been suffering the Shift and he had to admit it hurt that Crowley found whatever he was doing out there more important than the omega he was supposed to be courting and the pain he was enduring.

“Great, so when I’m done with this stupid transformation and I’m back at school, you’ll be able to visit me. How convenient,” he huffed bitterly and the moment Crowley sighed, Dean regretted his uncharacteristic outburst.

“I’m sorry, Dean. Truly I am. I… Maybe I can get away early one night this week.”

Although Dean didn’t know what Crowley was doing (as the alpha had been strangely secretive about the whole affair), he perked up a little as hope flared in his chest. He was missing his alpha a lot and the thought of Crowley finally coming to visit him made him smile.

“Sorry for snapping,” mumbled Dean apologetically. He knew the alpha had his own life and Dean couldn’t be selfish by demanding all of his time be spent on him. “I just miss you.”

“I know.” Crowley’s voice softened. “I miss you too.”

The omega smiled fondly. “Alright, I’ll leave you to whatever you do when you’re not in class… and maybe I’ll see you this week?”

“Maybe,” agreed Crowley. “Stay safe, Dean.”

“You too.”

The line went dead and Dean sighed quietly as he settled back down onto his mattress. Pain blossomed between his legs and he groaned and curled in on himself.

Suddenly, there was a light knock at his window and Dean grinned as he rolled over and spotted two ocean-blue eyes and a mop of scruffy raven hair peeking over his windowsill. 

He hobbled over to the window and opened it, making way for the other boy to step through.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel greeted with a smile and Dean shook his head in amusement.

“Hey, Cas.”

“Are you feeling any better?” The alpha asked, concern clear in his expression as his gaze roamed over Dean’s body and the omega shrugged lopsidedly as one hand held his stomach.

“I think I’m getting used to it now.”

Cas frowned, unhappy with the answer. “Then no.”

Dean averted his gaze and Cas shook his head. “Would you like anything?” The alpha asked as he placed his school bag in the corner of the room. “A drink? Something to eat?” He knew Dean had difficulties walking down the stairs when he was in so much pain.

“Something to drink would be nice,” murmured Dean shyly and Cas smiled at him. 

“Anything else? A sandwich? Soup? Something sweet?”

“…There’s a bit of takeaway in the fridge left over from last night. Could you reheat it?” Dean mumbled. He hadn’t eaten since Sam had brought him dinner the previous evening and he knew John wouldn’t stop to think his oldest son couldn’t walk down the stairs without collapsing, so he wouldn’t get any food from him. Not that he’d be back from work until late anyway.

“Sure,” said Cas. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“If there’s anything you want, help yourself,” Dean called after him and Cas shot him a glance of acknowledgement before he vanished downstairs.

Dean sat on his bed gingerly, a small smile lighting his face.

Whilst Dean’s friends had called him nearly every day to check he was alright, Cas had visited him every day straight after school, offering his assistance whenever he could. He usually left in the evenings, although there had been a couple of times where the alpha had been holding Dean, trying to soothe him, and the pair had been so content they had fallen asleep until the early hours of the morning. Those times, Cas had blearily glanced at his phone and cursed when he’d seen the time (which amused Dean greatly) before he’d had to run for the night bus and sneak into his house without waking anybody.

Dean’s chest warmed whenever he thought about the other boy going to so much effort to help him through his suffering and he’d found himself smiling more and more whenever his friend was around.

Suddenly, his phone started ringing and Dean grinned at the caller ID.

“Hey, Jo.”

“Hey, stranger. How’re you feeling today?”

“Still sore, but at least it should be over in about four days.”

“Sorry to hear that, Dean. I really wish you didn’t have to go through this.”

“You and me both.”

“…Hey, so… I was wondering… um… y’know Castiel?”

Dean perked up immediately. “Yeah, what about him?”

“So, I know you’ve been hanging around him recently, but have you… said anything to him? Anything… weird?” Jo asked tentatively.

Dean frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just… he’s been acting strange. Like, really strange. I mean, the other day I caught him growling at Alistair for picking on some freshman and then yesterday in the cafeteria, everyone saw him defending an omega senior against Uriel and Ruby.

“It’s not just those times either. He’s been acting weird for the past week; apologising to kids he bullied, helping teachers carry heavy equipment… he’s even engaging with lessons more; answering questions, helping people who don’t understand. He’s actually really smart.”

Dean grinned. He’d known Cas was smart by how quickly the alpha finished his homework when he was visiting Dean. Dean had also had a peek at Cas’ work book and he’d seen the types of grades he was achieving. Cas wasn’t stupid by any means and as he’d been giving Dean his class notes to learn so he wouldn’t fall too far behind, he’d even helped the omega with a few biology concepts he couldn’t quite grasp.

“I was just wondering if maybe you’d said something to him to make him turn so… kind?” Jo sounded confused and there was a short pause before she spoke again. “You didn’t hold him at gunpoint, did you?”

Dean snorted. “No.” Then he smiled fondly. “Cas isn’t the guy we thought he was. He just… needed a bit of direction. He’s a good person, really, and I don’t think he’s acting weird; I think he’s acting the way he was supposed to if he hadn’t had such terrible parents and brothers. I think the Cas you’re seeing now is the true one; the dorky, caring alpha who had a bad start and now wants to make it up to everybody.”

There was a whole seven seconds of silence before Jo replied and Dean briefly wondered if maybe he’d sounded a little _too_ fond.

“Right,” was all Jo said and it was subdued, contemplative.

“Just give him a little time,” hurried Dean. “I think maybe you’ll see a few more changes.”

“Okay,” murmured Jo warily and Dean grimaced as he realised she may have just jumped to a very wrong conclusion. “Just… be careful, Dean,” she said cryptically and Dean wanted to rebuff her for thinking about him and Cas like that, but that would mean admitting that the thought had obviously crossed his mind too.

He wasn’t stupid; he knew people would begin to talk when word got out that Cas had been visiting Dean every day rather than Crowley. He was just thankful only his closest friends knew at the moment. He idly wondered if Crowley knew; the conversation had never come up over the phone.

“I’m fine,” Dean responded with a small frown.

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you next week then,” Jo said quietly and Dean sighed. 

“Hopefully.”

“Bye, Dean.”

“See ya.”

He threw his phone on the bed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He and Cas weren’t doing anything wrong. Cas was just being an amazing friend. That was all. It wasn't like they’d done anything.

Dean’s thoughts wandered and a smile crept across his face again as he realised Castiel was beginning to change his attitude in school as well as around the Winchester brothers. He was beginning to stand up for what he believed was right and that made Dean so proud of the alpha. Not only that, but he was starting to show his true personality; the caring side of him that comforted and helped people when they needed it. 

And he was taking a stand against his so-called ‘friends’. He was rebuking them when they deserved it for mocking and abusing other teens and Dean wished he could’ve seen the look on their faces the first time Cas did that because he could imagine the utter shock of them being scolded by their ‘leader’.

That was the moment Castiel walked into the room with a tray holding a plate of takeout and a mug of hot chocolate and Dean’s stomach rumbled in anticipation.

The alpha chuckled as he handed the goods over and Dean smiled up at him gratefully.

“Thanks, Cas.”

“Not a problem. Do you mind if I start the chemistry homework? You can read through my notes and I’ll explain what the task is?”

Dean nodded and flicked through Cas’ class notes as he ate his meal, the alpha’s gravelly voice explaining the work as he listened silently. Both boys settled into the familiar routine and when Dean had finished eating, he joined Cas on the floor, starting the homework himself.

An hour later, the pair had completed the task and they climbed to their feet, stretching all the kinks out of their spines. Unfortunately, the change in position shifted something in Dean and the omega doubled over as white hot pain flared in his stomach. He whimpered and Cas was immediately by his side, gently guiding him to the bed Dean was quickly coming to despise. 

He lay the omega down with a worried frown as Dean clutched at his stomach.

Eventually, the pain dimmed a little and Dean was able to relax. 

“You wanna watch a movie?” Dean asked after a few moments and Cas offered him a small smile. 

Dean gestured to the laptop he and Sam had borrowed from the library and Cas entered his Netflix details as he walked back over to Dean. 

The omega had introduced Cas to Netflix on the third day into his Shift. The alpha had never heard of it, but had quickly become enthralled with the idea of so many movies and series in one place and he had paid for a subscription and given Dean the account details for when the omega was bored.

Cas was awesome like that.

There was no hesitation now as Castiel slipped into bed with Dean, curling his arm around the omega automatically as Dean wrapped his own arms around the alpha. It was a routine they were long used to as they placed the laptop on their legs and searched for something interesting to watch.

Dean’s stomach tightened again and the omega nosed softly at Castiel’s neck, seeking comfort.

They finally selected a favourite series of theirs and Castiel placed his free hand over the omega’s belly, rubbing soothing circles over it as the title sequence of _‘Star Trek: The Original Series’_ filled the screen.

Long past the point of caring about his stereotypical purring, Dean couldn’t help but snuggle into the alpha, laying his head on his shoulder as he let out soft purrs of contentment.

Castiel rumbled quietly in response, tugging the omega closer as they focused on the show.

One episode rolled into three and Dean waited for the credits to fade in before he spoke.

“You going home for dinner or do you want to order something here? Dad’ll be back in about an hour.” John wouldn’t be happy if he found Castiel in Dean’s room. So far they had been quiet and only Sam had caught them together, but a delivery guy showing up at the door would be a dead giveaway that there was someone else in the house.

“Is Sam coming home tonight?” Castiel asked and Dean shook his head.

“Gone to Jess’ for a sleepover.”

Cas nodded. “Then I’ll order here and you can pick something with me.” The alpha knew Dean wouldn’t be fed otherwise.

“You don’t need to do that,” murmured Dean but Cas rolled his eyes.

“Stop acting like your needs don’t matter,” the alpha huffed before logging out of Netflix. “What kind of food do you want?”

Dean shrugged. “Anything.”

Cas paused for a second before tilting his head.

“Have you ever tried sushi?”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that raw fish?”

“Some of it is, but it can be meat, noodles, salad... and it doesn’t have to be raw. Some of it is cooked, like the pork or duck,” explained Castiel and Dean contemplated this for a few moments.

“Would you like to try it?” Cas asked and Dean nodded slowly. When was he going to have another opportunity to try something as exotic as sushi anyway?

Cas grinned and typed in a website address, placing an order for something that looked very colourful and foreign.

“Should be approximately half an hour,” commented Cas before clicking on Youtube. “Have I shown you the latest _‘PianoGuys’_ video? _‘Michael meets Mozart’_ I believe it’s called.”

Dean shook his head with a grin. Cas had introduced him to classical music a few days ago and the omega had to admit he liked quite a bit of it. Composers like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky had paved the way for rock music and power ballads and Dean had found himself enjoying his research into some of this early music. How could anyone hate twenty minutes of loud, invigorating, complex orchestral work that sounded very like the backing to most Meatloaf songs?

Cas played the video and Dean settled back into the alpha. As the lively music washed over him, he couldn’t help but smile. Despite his stomach contracting and his crotch feeling like it was on fire, he realised he was comfortable and happy next to his friend. Cas had restarted the gentle rubbing of his belly and Dean tightened his grip on the alpha as he leaned into him.

Once again, he felt safe and cared for and it was such a foreign feeling that he couldn’t stop the constant purring escaping his chest. Cas’ answering rumbles were extremely reassuring and Dean was glad he’d given the alpha a chance and had decided to become his friend. It was the best decision he’d ever made.

After a while, he felt a pair of eyes staring at him and he turned to find Cas watching him with a fond smile. The room was dark; the sun having long since vanished to make way for the night sky and Dean felt his heart flutter, making his chest all light and warm. He was beginning to enjoy that feeling.

They gazed at one another for a few moments, just smiling softly at each other and Dean slowly pressed his nose into Cas’ neck to scent him.

Castiel tugged him closer and began to nuzzle his hair and the pair slipped their arms around each other. Cas tangled his fingers in Dean’s hair and the omega tucked his head under Cas’ chin, nosing at his chest.

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” murmured Cas as they cuddled into one another and Dean tightened his grip.

“…And you’re mine,” whispered Dean quietly.

Their souls lurched towards one another with a strength they’d never felt before and both boys took in shaky breaths as they held each other close.

Dean didn’t know what he was doing. Logically, he knew friends weren’t usually this close. They didn’t nuzzle each other and hold each other so tight as if they were afraid of letting go. They didn’t curl around one another in bed or scent each other’s throats.

Yet it all seemed so natural with Cas. He liked being with the alpha; being held by him when he was in pain; being able to scent him when he needed comfort. He liked it when they snuggled into one another whilst they were watching a movie and he liked it when Cas tangled his fingers in his hair or petted his aching belly.

But he was with Crowley. This… this was toeing a dangerous line. What if Crowley didn’t see them as just friends and thought there was something more happening between them? What if he thought Dean was cheating on him?

Dean frowned. Crowley wasn’t here. Cas was. 

Castiel had been there for him when his own boyfriend hadn’t.

Who cared what Crowley thought? Dean had his own life too. If Crowley took their friendship to mean something else, then that was his problem, not Dean’s.

“I heard you stuck up for a few kids back at school,” murmured Dean as he scented Cas’ throat, which the alpha easily bared for him.

“…How did you…?” Cas trailed off in confusion before Dean winked cheekily and the alpha averted his gaze shyly.

“I thought about what you said regarding my friends and realised you were completely right. I decided someone needed to teach them not to ridicule others.”

Dean snickered. “Bet they loved that.”

Cas quirked a smile. “They were… shocked to say the least.”

“I wish I could’ve seen their faces.”

Castiel chuckled. “They looked a little like fish.”

Dean huffed out a laugh before squeezing his friend encouragingly.

“I’m proud of you, Cas. You did what was right instead of caving to peer pressure. You stood up for the little guy.”

Cas blushed pink and refused to look at Dean and the omega raised an amused eyebrow.

“What?”

“…Nobody… nobody has ever complimented me before,” confessed Castiel. “My parents and brothers have of course, but most of the time it was for the wrong reasons. Hearing you say you’re proud of me is… I’m not sure what to say.”

Dean’s gaze softened and he continued to nose at Castiel’s throat. He loved the alpha’s scent.

“You don’t have to say anything. You deserve it. You’re a good guy when you don’t listen to skewed traditionalist views. You should start showing people just how considerate you can be.”

“Thank you, Dean,” Cas whispered as he stroked the omega’s back. “That means a lot.”

Dean smirked and relaxed into the alpha. Cas began to nuzzle his hair again and just as they were getting comfortable, there was a knock downstairs.

“Dinner has arrived,” mumbled Cas, but he didn’t look too happy about having to move.

Dean felt the same way. He didn’t want to lose contact with the alpha; he liked this position they’d found themselves in.

At another impatient knock, Cas reluctantly untangled himself from Dean and the omega nearly whined.

The alpha trudged downstairs and a few minutes later he reappeared with a large bag.

Dean sat up and watched curiously as Cas unpacked the boxes onto the floor.

Some dishes were steaming and some were clearly cold, but all of them were colourful and nothing like Dean had ever seen before. Cas handed him a paper plate and a pair of chopsticks and Dean stared at the utensils blankly.

Cas chuckled at his staring and showed Dean how to correctly hold the chopsticks. It took him a few goes, but Dean finally managed to pick up one of the small rice rolls stuffed with something pink.

He raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise as he took a cautious bite of what he realised was salmon, and Cas smirked at him smugly.

“Oh, shut up,” huffed Dean as he stole another roll and Castiel grinned as he dipped his roll into something green.

Dean copied him and Cas laughed as the omega coughed, throat burning at the sheer spiciness of the sauce. 

“Wasabi,” offered Cas. “Maybe next time, don’t pile so much on,” he teased and Dean downed his whole glass of Coke, refilling it from the bottle which Cas had thoughtfully brought up when he’d retrieved dinner.

“There won’t be a next time because I’m not going near that thing again,” panted Dean.

Cas shook his head in amusement and the pair sampled different dishes, enjoying themselves as they discussed anything from the food, to school, to the trips they’d been on together.

When they were full, Dean admitted that he’d found the food delicious despite not expecting to and when Cas returned from taking the empty containers outside, they both heard John pull up in the driveway.

They knew they had to stay quiet from then on otherwise John might not have only fired a warning bullet at Cas, so the pair slipped back into bed and put a movie on, turning the lights off as they did so.

 

* * *

 

Dean awoke to agony both in his stomach and between his legs and he groaned loudly before he could stop himself.

Cas jerked awake, steadying the laptop before it had a chance to crash to the floor and he gently placed it next to the bed as he glanced over at Dean concernedly.

The omega was writhing awkwardly as he held his stomach, face contorted in pain and Cas sleepily tugged him closer and began to rub his belly. When Dean’s wriggling continued, Cas slid his hand under the omega’s shirt and rubbed his bare skin.

Dean whimpered in relief as the alpha’s warm palm soothed the torturous ache and he pressed closer to Cas, curling his arms around him. The alpha’s strong, protective scent was helping to dim the pain.

“Are you okay?” Whispered Cas and Dean nodded slowly.

“Am now.”

Cas rumbled in approval and tucked Dean’s head under his, making the omega purr in appreciation.

“What time is it?” Yawned Dean and Cas dragged his phone from his pocket, squinting at the bright screen before his eyes widened.

He swore and Dean raised an eyebrow, suddenly a little more awake as the alpha grimaced.

“Two a.m.,” Cas supplied before shifting to slide out of bed and find his shoes.

Dean grabbed his waist before he had a chance to get out of bed.

“Stay,” he murmured and Cas paused.

“Please?” Asked Dean and to his delight, the alpha settled back onto the pillows, tucking Dean’s head back under his chin as he slipped his hand under the omega’s shirt.

“Okay,” Cas whispered and Dean’s arms crept around his friend again, soul dancing happily as it lay so close to Cas’.

Castiel’s palm felt so good against his stomach and his soul was so excited by the contact that Dean couldn’t help but arch into the large hand.

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it. Whether he wanted Cas to feel the same pleasure he was experiencing from the simple contact, or if he wanted to feel his soul react even stronger, or maybe it was something else entirely, he wasn’t sure, but Dean sleepily untucked Cas’ shirt from his pants

The alpha gasped as Dean’s hand rode under his shirt, settling against his bare back as a thumb brushed gently over the soft skin. 

Upon realising the omega merely wanted to hold him, Cas tangled his free hand into Dean’s hair and curled around him protectively. He smiled tiredly when Dean’s other hand came to rest on his hip and the pair closed their eyes as their souls danced cheerily, both finding pleasure in each other’s simple touches.

They slept well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look: more fluff. This will be the last chapter full of cuddle fluff for quite a while, so I hope you enjoyed it. The plot is going to move on a bit in the next few chapters :) If anyone wants to watch the video Cas and Dean watched: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR94NDIfGmA
> 
> Also, fun game #3: Kiss a stranger every time Dean purrs.


	18. Another fine mess

“It’s good to finally see you,” murmured Crowley with a small smile and Dean grinned back.

Unlike Castiel, Crowley hadn’t had to climb up the drainpipe and through the window to visit Dean whilst he was bedridden, and although John was now grumbling that there was an alpha in Dean’s room, the omega felt happy because Crowley had kept to his word and had found some time off to see him. Dean had already texted Cas to tell him not to show up tonight because Crowley was visiting and the blue-eyed alpha had wished him a pleasant evening.

“How are you? Is the pain fading yet?” Crowley asked and Dean nodded.

“I think it’ll probably stop in a couple of days. It doesn’t feel as bad as it was.”

“Good,” hummed Crowley before coming to sit next to Dean on the bed. He curled his arm around Dean’s waist, his thumb slipping under Dean’s shirt to rub small circles into the skin.

Dean’s brow briefly twitched into a frown at how weak his soul’s reaction to Crowley was. Had it always been this weak? Had his reaction to Castiel’s soul strengthened that much over the past months?

When Crowley touched him, his soul barely flickered in comparison to Castiel.

Crowley didn’t seem to notice his expression.

“Your scent has changed,” the alpha commented. “You smell wonderful.”

Dean smiled. “I still smell like apple pie and nutmeg, it’s just stronger.”

Crowley shrugged. “I like it.”

Dean chuckled and leaned into the alpha. Crowley gently tilted his chin up and kissed his lips and Dean returned it eagerly. They pulled apart and Crowley gazed at him fondly.

Dean was confused to find his heart didn’t flutter like when Cas gazed at him. He elected to ignore it.

“Do you need a drink or anything?” Asked Crowley and Dean shook his head. 

“If you want something though, help yourself. I’m afraid I might not make it down the stairs,” said Dean apologetically and Crowley tugged him closer.

“I’m perfectly happy right here.”

At that moment, Dean’s stomach decided to explode with agony and the omega groaned, doubling over as he clutched the area.

“Dean?” Crowley sounded startled and uncertain and Dean immediately rushed to bury his nose in the alpha’s neck in search of comfort, only to recoil when he got a whiff of oak and saffron. 

It wasn’t unpleasant, it just wasn’t honey and charcoal and it surprised him.

“Dean, what do I do?” Crowley sounded concerned and the omega forced himself to scent at the alpha’s neck. This was his alpha; this was the scent that was supposed to soothe him.

So why didn’t it?

“Just… hold me,” mumbled Dean as he pressed his nose deeper into Crowley’s neck, hoping if he scented the alpha for long enough, he would get used to the foreign smell.

Crowley gingerly slid his arms around Dean and pulled him to his chest, but the angle was all wrong and Dean couldn’t comfortably tuck his head under the alpha’s chin because his spine was twisted. He shifted awkwardly until they were in the correct position and he guided Crowley’s hand to his stomach as he settled into the alpha. 

He frowned however, when the hand merely rested loosely over his stomach; there were no soothing circles to dim the pain, no warm palm splayed protectively over his sensitive skin, nor were there any nuzzles or rumbles of comfort. 

Dean’s mouth turned downwards. Nothing about this embrace felt right. He felt guilty for thinking it because Crowley was clearly worried about him, but the alpha wasn’t _doing_ anything. It wasn’t so much a cuddle than it was just Crowley awkwardly propping Dean up.

Dean idly wondered if maybe he purred, it might encourage the alpha to be a little more affectionate.

The problem was he wasn’t as content in Crowley’s arms as he thought he’d be, nor did he feel as safe as he did with Cas. Crowley didn’t hold him tight and nose at his hair, or stroke his back tenderly and tuck Dean’s head under his chin. 

Dean closed his eyes to clear his mind. Castiel had had lots of practice at dealing with his Shift, Crowley hadn’t.

 _‘And what does that tell you?’_ A traitorous little voice in the back of his head asked and Dean chose to ignore it.

Instead, he forced himself to purr, rubbing his cheek slightly against Crowley’s chest and although it sounded strained and nothing like the joyful little sound he produced when Cas was around, Crowley still reacted to it.

The alpha pulled him into his lap and although Dean was disappointed there was no soft rumble, he pushed at Crowley’s chest until they were lying down on the bed, Dean practically draped over Crowley’s smaller form.

Crowley’s hand found Dean’s back and a smile touched the omega’s lips as he closed his eyes and focused on the alpha’s heartbeat. He was still suffering with his stomach, but this position was a little better and Crowley was pressing light kisses to his hair as he rubbed his back.

Dean nuzzled the alpha’s chest, peppering kisses over it and he grinned when Crowley’s fingers tangled into his hair in a movement that was very familiar to Dean. He tucked his head under Crowley’s chin in approval before nuzzling his throat and kissing it lovingly.

Crowley chuckled as he petted Dean’s head.

“I think I like this submissive omega side of you.”

Suddenly, Dean felt his body flood with cold and he pulled away from Crowley. He wasn’t a submissive omega. He had been seeking comfort from pain, not suggesting he wanted the alpha to dominate him or anything else that would stroke an alpha’s ego.

Once again, that feeling of wrongness seeped into his skin.

Crowley watched his face morph into unhappiness and frowned in confusion. 

“Dean? Did I do something wrong?”

Dean registered the look of sheer puzzlement on Crowley’s face and sighed. He kept judging the alpha and he knew he shouldn’t but he couldn’t help it. He knew Crowley meant no harm by the comment, it’s just he didn’t like people insinuating he was weak; he got enough of that from his father.

“No, sorry. Guess I’m just feeling a little off from the Shift,” mumbled Dean. For some reason, he didn’t feel like snuggling into Crowley’s arms again. 

He brightened a little. “Hey, have you ever watched the _‘PianoGuys’_? Their music is really good and they do all these funky arrangements of classical pieces and more modern stuff. I think you’d enjoy it,” Dean grinned as he made to grab the laptop.

“I’ve seen some of their stuff and I don’t think they’re all that great to be honest,” snorted Crowley. “They use expensive locations to distract their viewers from the fact that at the end of the day they’re just two guys playing a piano and an ugly cello.”

Dean deflated. He and Cas had spent hours together watching and discussing their videos. He’d thought maybe he could spend some quality time with Crowley, but obviously he needed to think of something different to do.

“…Okay… do you want to play a game? We don’t have many but we have a few old classics like ‘Monopoly’ and ‘Cluedo’.” Cas was a master at _Cluedo_ , but Dean knew the best strategies for games like ‘Battleships’ and ‘Risk’.

Crowley pulled a face and sat up beside the omega, curling his arm around his waist gently. Dean’s gaze dropped to his lap.

“We could always watch a movie?” He offered quietly, oddly disappointed and this time Crowley smiled as he squeezed the omega in approval.

The pair turned off the lights and settled into Dean’s bed as they placed the laptop on their legs. Dean used Castiel’s account details to log into Netflix and Crowley frowned slightly when he noticed, but he said nothing as they selected a _Star Wars_ film. This, at least, they could both agree they enjoyed; Cas wasn’t much of a Star Wars fan (even though he was enraptured by any and all _Star Trek_ s).

The bed was fairly small, so Dean had chosen to lean his head on Crowley’s shoulder as they lay pressed into one another. It was a comfortable position and Dean had seen no problem with it even with the ache in his stomach slowly moving South to between his legs. As the film progressed, Crowley held him a little closer and began to stroke his back in a way that was rather relaxing and a smile tugged at Dean’s lips.

Then the hand wandered a little lower until it was gently cupping the swell of Dean’s rear and although the omega didn’t move away, he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the direction the night seemed to be heading, especially with the ache between his legs.

After a light massage of the omega’s rump, Crowley slowly slipped his hand into the back of Dean’s jeans and underwear, touching and stroking the soft flesh.

Dean wondered why he felt so nervous. He’d never been nervous around Crowley before; it wasn’t as if they’d never touched each other, but suddenly he didn’t feel right. He was uncomfortable with Crowley touching him and he couldn’t understand why. He assumed it was it was because they hadn’t seen each other in a while and maybe if he spent some intimate time with the alpha, the ridiculous feelings would go away.

Dean forced himself to lean into Crowley to show he was enjoying the touches.

Crowley turned slightly to press a kiss to his hair, then another and another and Dean tilted his head up to capture the alpha’s lips. They kissed tenderly for a few seconds before Crowley deepened the kiss and soon, they were nipping at each other’s lips and tasting each other’s tongues.

Crowley carefully shifted the laptop out of the way as he moved to straddle Dean and the omega automatically reached up to slide his hands under the alpha’s shirt.

Dean found himself enjoying the kissing and actually, the longer Crowley touched him, the more distracted he was to remember his pain and Crowley smirked into their kisses when he felt Dean begin to relax.

He undid Dean’s shirt and a hand roamed over the omega’s chest, teasing at his nipples and trailing down to his stomach only to flutter back up his sides and Dean smiled at the pleasurable sensations.

See? This was why Crowley was his alpha; the other boy knew exactly how to make him feel good.

Crowley dipped down to lap at a nipple and Dean groaned softly as the alpha teased him, scraping his teeth over the little nub before nuzzling it and moving on to suck at the next one.

In return, Dean began to unbutton the alpha’s shirt. He smoothed a hand over the alpha’s exposed body and Crowley caught his lips again, nipping at them playfully.

Dean circled his thumb over one of Crowley’s nipples, scraping his nail over it before brushing his thumb over it in soothing. The omega felt the beginnings of Crowley’s hardness pressing into his thigh and he couldn’t deny his own arousal tenting his underwear.

Crowley shifted, their bulges sliding over one another and the alpha smirked as he slowly rutted against Dean’s erection. Dean closed his eyes in pleasure at the friction and he tasted the other boy’s mouth, their teeth clashing in their eagerness to deepen their kiss.

He slipped his hand into the back of Crowley’s pants, copying the alpha’s movements as they explored each other’s rumps and soon, Crowley was pressing harder against Dean, rutting deeper against his crotch and Dean couldn’t help but shift his hips upwards, making their erections drag more wholly against one another with delicious friction.

Their breathing grew heavier as they moved against each other and suddenly, Crowley’s hand had unzipped the omega’s jeans and loosened his belt and was making its way underneath his waistband. 

Dean faltered slightly, once again strangely nervous, but the alpha didn’t seem to notice and Dean figured if he ignored it again, the feelings would disappear. 

Crowley grabbed his hardness and slid up and down it, teasing at its head and massaging its base firmly.

The feelings didn’t vanish. Dean was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second and he had become acutely aware of the blossoming pain further underneath him. He shifted slightly, hoping to distract himself as he made to loosen Crowley’s pants, but it was difficult to focus through his prickling nerves.

Crowley moved onto his testicles, teasing and cupping them and Dean quickly came to realise he wasn’t just nervous anymore, but slightly panicky too. He didn’t understand why though and the alpha was clearly enjoying himself so he pretended his squirming was to do with pleasure rather than a desire to move away.

The alpha continued to stroke and play with him for a few moments before very slowly pushing his hand further between his legs to tease at a hole that hadn’t been there before and Dean gasped when gentle fingers probed at the new entrance.

The area burned in excruciating pain and Dean whimpered in fear, shoving Crowley away from him as he scrambled further up the bed, pulling his knees to his chest in an attempt to protect himself.

He wanted Castiel.

He startled at the thought. Where had that come from?

Crowley was watching him concernedly and he carefully buttoned up his shirt to show Dean he wasn’t a threat, before holding out a placating hand.

“I’m sorry. I pushed too fast. Did I hurt you?”

The area between Dean’s legs was burning in agony again and he nodded almost ashamedly.

Crowley exhaled shakily. “I’m really sorry, Dean. I didn’t mean to,” he apologised. “Would you… what do you want me to do? Would you like me to just hold you?”

Dean really didn’t want Crowley to touch him again.

He was surprised by the harshness of that thought. Crowley hadn’t really done anything wrong. Dean was the one who had been strangely flighty about the whole thing despite never having been so before and Crowley had seemed honestly apologetic for doing something he’d genuinely believed Dean had been enjoying. 

_‘But he knew you’re in the middle of a painful Shift and not everything has formed fully, yet he still tried to touch you,’_ came that stupid voice at the back of his head again and it caused him to doubt the alpha once more.

He closed his eyes. Why did he keep judging the Crowley? Was he still bitter that the alpha hadn’t visited him earlier? He was being childish. And needy. Like the whiny omega his father said he was.

“No, I… I’m okay now. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” murmured Dean and Crowley’s gaze softened.

“Don’t worry about it.” He tilted his head. “How about I make it up to you with pizza? I can get some delivered?”

Dean perked up at the idea. See? Crowley was a nice guy.

The alpha chuckled and grabbed his phone. 

“What would you like?”

 

* * *

 

After two extra cheesy, meat-filled pizzas, both boys were stuffed and Dean finally gathered the courage to cuddle with Crowley on the bed.

The alpha held him close and kissed his face softly and Dean smiled as he wrapped his arms around the alpha. He liked it when Crowley was affectionate with him.

“You’re going to have a lot of work to catch up on when you get back to school,” hummed Crowley. “You can borrow my notes if you like?”

Dean shook his head as he nosed at the alpha’s chest.

“Nah, it’s okay. Cas filled me in; I’ve been getting my notes from him.”

Crowley stiffened and Dean realised his mistake too late. 

Oh well. He’d have to tell the alpha sooner or later. Besides, it wasn’t as if they’d been doing anything wrong.

“You’ve been getting your notes from Castiel? When was this? I thought you were bedridden?” The alpha asked suspiciously and Dean felt a little offended Crowley didn’t seem to trust him.

“Well since you never visited, Cas came around every day after school to let me catch up on lessons and homework. He took my work in for me to be marked, too,” huffed Dean and Crowley pulled away slightly to frown at him.

“Your father let him into the house?”

Dean tried not to grimace. “I let him in. He’s my friend.”

Crowley scowled. “He bullied you for years.”

“He’s changed,” protested Dean. “He’s been very good to me, especially during my Shift.”

Crowley narrowed his gaze. “ _’Good to you’_?” He echoed and the implications made Dean’s temper flare as he got out of bed.

“Don’t you dare,” he hissed. “Don’t you dare accuse me of that. Don’t accuse him of that! Yes, he helped me through the pain when it got unbearable and yes, I enjoyed his comfort, but don’t you dare accuse me of being unfaithful to you! Don’t blame me for seeking comfort from someone else when you weren’t even there for me to ask!”

Crowley bristled and he stood. “Can I help being a little suspicious when all you seem to do is hang around him? You go out to the cinema, you join him on concerts, you accompany him to amusement parks, you chat to him after school and now I find out he’s been visiting you every day? You're even using his Netflix account! Next you’ll be telling me he slept over in the same bed as you!”

Dean didn’t comment on that, instead opting to cross his arms. 

“Right, because you’ve not been vague about the details of whatever you’ve been so busy doing when you can’t find the time to see me. Is she pretty? Does he have a fatter hole than me?” Snapped Dean and Crowley growled warningly.

“You’d be wise to stay out of things that don’t concern you, Dean. Just accept I was busy and don’t ask questions.”

Dean scoffed in disbelief. “You can’t even reassure me you weren’t with someone else? At least lie to make it seem like you care!” He bit out and Crowley clenched his fists.

“I’m not having an affair. You know I’m not like that.”

“No, actually I don’t. Because you never tell me anything,” snapped Dean. 

Crowley sighed wearily. “I’m not cheating on you,” he said softly. “I wouldn’t do that.” 

Dean felt some of the anger drain from him at Crowley’s exhausted tone. Now he looked at the alpha, he realised Crowley was tired; emotionally and physically and he wondered what the alpha had been doing for the past two weeks.

“...Please, Dean. Tell me the truth. Is there anything going on between you and Castiel?” Crowley murmured defeatedly and Dean averted his gaze.

“No. Truly there’s nothing. He really is just my friend. He held me sometimes and we lay on the bed together to watch a movie when I was in agony, but nothing happened. He really was just trying to help me through the pain.”

Crowley’s mouth drew into a thin, unhappy line.

“You let another alpha hold you? What else did he do? Did he scent you? Did he nuzzle you?” He paused contemplatively and before Dean got a chance to argue, the alpha scowled. “Is that why you kept trying to tuck your head under my chin earlier? Is that what you did with him?”

At Dean’s caught-out look, Crowley shook his head in distaste. 

“You’re supposed to be _my_ omega. I’ve never stopped you from doing anything you want like some alphas would, yet you insist on making me jealous. Are you just using me? Do you not really want me and you’re just teasing me; showing me what I can’t have before you run off with someone else?” He asked bitterly. "Tell me, Dean, does your soul still react to him?" 

Dean stiffened.

“I think you’d better leave,” he said quietly, hurt and Crowley laughed hollowly. 

“Why? Is Castiel coming over?” He moved towards the door and Dean scowled.

“I chose you. Not him,” he whispered and Crowley shook his head.

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

The door closed behind him, leaving silence in its wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts on Crowley after this chapter. I wrote him a little ambiguously because of a later plot line, but I'd like to see people's opinions and assumptions about him. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	19. Seeing the light at last

Crowley called Dean the very next day to apologise for the way he'd left things between them. Dean was relieved to hear from the alpha and confessed he felt guilty for how he’d behaved and the things he’d said. Crowley admitted something along similar lines. 

For the remaining few days of Dean’s Shift, Crowley made sure to call Dean every evening and with Castiel still coming to visit and his boyfriend suddenly far more contactable, the omega was a lot happier.

Dean explained to Cas what had happened between him and Crowley and the blue-eyed alpha had looked incredibly ashamed when he mentioned that Crowley thought there was something going on between them both. He had apologised profusely for “causing a rift” in their relationship and although Dean had tried to insist it wasn’t Cas’ fault, the alpha had been determined to speak to Crowley when he next saw him at school, in hopes of being able to set a few things straight.

Cas had apparently succeeded in his plan, because on Monday night, Dean received a call from a sheepish-sounding Crowley stating he was very sorry for everything he’d accused Dean of and Castiel had explained everything to him. He kept repeating how guilty he felt for not being there for Dean and he now understood why he’d sought comfort from Cas when he was in so much agony. He told Dean that whilst he still wasn’t fond of Castiel, he was ashamed of the way he’d been so jealous of Dean having a friend who obviously deeply cared for him and he apologised once again for hurting the omega with his cruel words.

On Tuesday, Dean’s Shift was complete and the omega returned to school. The first thing he did was find Crowley and kiss him desperately. He hadn’t seen the alpha in days and considering the last time they had talked face-to-face was when they’d been fighting, Dean felt as though he needed to ensure everything was still alright between them. If the way Crowley held him a little tighter than necessary was anything to go by, Dean guessed the alpha felt the same way.

When they pulled apart, Crowley looked genuinely happy and Dean realised the alpha had a bright smile when it was sincere.

For the first part of the day they were inseparable, practically attached at the hip during classes and breaks but then their timetables diverged and they were forced to attend different lessons.

Cas was delighted to see Dean pain-free and the omega was knocked off-guard when the alpha tugged him into a hug when they ran into each other.

Dean had that little flutter in his chest again but he ignored it because Castiel was smiling at him and asking how he was and Dean replied he was fine and then he thanked the alpha for everything he’d done; for being there for him when he needed someone and for explaining things to Crowley when there had been a misunderstanding.

Cas just shook his head and said it was the least he could do after Dean had been so patient and forgiving with him.

They sat next to each other in Chemistry and everyone stared at them as they snickered when they managed to make all four of their test tubes explode. They probably wondered when the supposed enemies had grown so friendly.

At lunch, Dean sat with Jo, Charlie, Ash and Benny. They were happy to see him and the omega couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hugged by so many people in one day. It made him feel as though he wasn’t the complete disappointment his dad always implied he was.

They chatted for a while about things Dean had missed and what the omega had been through whilst away. They talked about the teacher who locked herself out of her own classroom for forty-five minutes and the student who had been caught drinking vodka from a water bottle. They told Dean about the fire alarm that had been set off because of the cooking teacher who had flipped a pancake onto one of the detectors, and they discussed the Geography group assignment that nobody wanted to do.

Eventually, Crowley joined them and Dean bit back a grin when his friends greeted the alpha as though he’d always been a part of their little clique. Crowley shuffled in beside Dean in a way he probably thought was subtle and Charlie made heart gestures at them both as Benny teased them with soft _‘awww’s’_. Crowley flushed red and averted his gaze and the rest of the table tittered at his uncharacteristic shyness.

Even Crowley’s ‘bodyguards’ were smirking, so the alpha shooed them away, telling them they didn’t need to protect him from a few school kids, not that they needed to protect him at all considering they weren’t really bodyguards. They sauntered away with sly grins.

Things were going great until a few familiar faces crowded behind Dean.

“You gonna show us the reason you’ve been off all this time, Dean?” Sneered a feminine voice and Dean’s whole table stiffened as their gazes settled on the likes of Ruby, Uriel, Alistair and co.

“C’mon, virgin. Bend over and show us that sweet little cherry of yours,” taunted Alistair, eyes raking over Dean’s body in a way that had Crowley automatically growling, fists clenched.

“You come anywhere near him, Alistair and I’ll break your legs,” snarled Crowley. “I think there are a few people here who would help me,” he added as he nodded over to a bristling Benny and a glaring Jo.

Alistair rumbled threateningly at Crowley, but it was Dean who rumbled back and Alistair’s shocked expression made Crowley chuckle. He patted the omega’s shoulder proudly.

“And that’s only if Dean doesn’t get to you first.”

Alistair narrowed his eyes but it was Uriel who spoke next.

“Don’t act all high and noble, MacLeod. We all know the only reason you’re with the omega is because you want to test out his new hole. When you get bored of him, you’ll throw him away. It’s not like he has wealth or power to keep you interested.

“You’re just looking for a tight place to stick your knot. You probably need it after all the alphas you service on your Saturday nights. Tell me, MacLeod, why were you skulking around those dark back alleys near that strip club over the weekend? You do know that’s where the prostitutes go to pick up alphas, right? Was business any good?”

Crowley tensed, a look of panic creeping behind his eyes and Dean blinked, stunned, before wondering about the reason the alpha hadn’t been able to visit him during the first part of his Shift. He remembered the exhaustion in the alpha’s face and how evasive he had been when Dean had asked what he’d been doing. He also recalled how the alpha had mentioned his relationship with his mother had never been a close one.

With a sinking feeling in his gut and an ache in his heart, Dean scowled at Uriel and made a point of pressing into Crowley’s side. He gently placed his hand on the alpha’s back, silently offering his support and showing Crowley he didn’t judge him for whatever he had been forced into doing. Dean knew all about doing things he was ashamed of but had to in order to keep himself and his brother fed and warm.

Crowley relaxed a little and Dean stroked his thumb in small circles over the alpha’s lower back. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Crowley grated out. “Whatever you think is happening, it’s not and instead of attempting to portray yourself as a crude idiot, do us all a favour and superglue your jaw shut so we don’t all have to suffer a reduction in IQ.”

Uriel smirked as the rest of the gang jeered and teased Crowley with condescending _‘ooooo’s’_.

“What’s wrong? Have a fetish you don’t want Dean to know about?” Crowed Uriel. “Are you worried he’ll be repulsed by your desire to be filled by another alpha’s seed? How many knots can you take at once?”

Jo and Benny looked ready to plough into Uriel and Dean was seriously eying up the knife he’d been using earlier. Crowley looked absolutely furious, but there was a hint of darkness behind his eyes; something Dean had never seen before. It made him shiver... and not in a good way.

“I hardly believe you are in any position to give relationship advice, Uriel. Didn’t your girlfriend dump you a couple of weeks ago?” Drawled a gravelly voice that made Dean grin and Crowley blink in surprise.

Castiel sauntered over, looking entirely unimpressed with his friends.

Or maybe that was _former_ friends. 

“I’m sure someone said she left you half way through coitus. Something about she couldn’t tell if you were _in_ or not,” Cas continued. He was answered by a round of snickers from the rest of the room, who had all turned to focus on the dramatic proceedings.

Uriel snapped his mouth shut in mortification as his friends glanced at him in confusion.

“It’s not pleasant being publicly humiliated, is it?” Murmured Cas lowly and the other alpha puffed his chest out in anger, ready to snap at him.

“Although I’m sure Alistair would be more than willing to prove her wrong. Afterall, it doesn’t count if it’s for research purposes, right?” Castiel commented airily and Dean snorted as Crowley raised an impressed eyebrow.

Both Uriel and Alistair’s jaws opened and closed a few times before Cas turned his back on them, sighing deeply in boredom. He instead directed a small smile at Crowley and Dean.

“Gentlemen,” he winked as a grin threatened to spilt Dean’s face in two and Crowley bowed his head slightly in appreciation, to which Cas nodded. The blue-eyed alpha glanced over at the rest of their table and nodded again in acknowledgement.

“I wish you all a pleasant afternoon,” he hummed before gliding away.

Faces red with embarrassment, Uriel and the rest of the gang slunk away to the opposite side of the room.

“…Maybe Castiel isn’t all that bad,” muttered Crowley quietly when everyone eventually returned to whatever they had been doing before the soap opera had started.

Dean slipped his arm around the alpha and tugged him tight to his side as he kissed his cheek tenderly.

“He’s certainly smooth,” murmured Crowley as he stole a sneaky kiss from the omega’s lips.

Dean merely chuckled.

 

* * *

 

“Such an _enjoyable_ family dinner as always,” huffed Gabriel as he collapsed onto the couch in the lounge and Lucifer shut the door behind him with scowl, ensuring no one followed them in.

“Well maybe if you acted like a civilised omega for once in your life, you might find meal times can be pleasant,” he commented heatedly and Gabriel snorted before glaring at his potential soulmate.

“There is nothing _pleasant_ about your family,” scoffed Gabriel. “Castiel is the only one I have hopes for and he never speaks.”

Lucifer bristled. “Mind your tongue about my family.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “I have to watch what I say but your _darling_ parents can throw insult after insult at me over everything from my clothes to the fact I refuse to bow my head and keep my mouth shut at dinner because _‘omegas should know their place’_? Right, yeah. That seems fair.”

Lucifer’s mouth drew into a thin line. “They only expect politeness from you, but instead you seem intent on breaking every rule of etiquette you know. I don’t understand why you feel the need to disrespect us all the time. We don’t treat you any different to the other omegas that enter this house.”

Gabriel huffed out a disbelieving laugh. “So, you’re telling me you treat Michael’s mate this way? Do you expect her to do all the same things you expect of me?”

At Lucifer’s blank look, Gabriel balked. 

“Seriously?” He asked before shaking his head. “Why on Earth did the poor girl mate that sexist, arrogant traditionalist? How could he have tricked her into marrying him?” The omega paused. “It wasn’t an arranged mating, was it?”

Lucifer crossed his arms. “She chose him willingly,” he snapped. “Why do you think so little of my family? What do you get from belittling and humiliating us?”

Gabriel’s gaze narrowed sharply as he turned his full attention on Lucifer.

“That’s rich. Me belittling you? Your parents and brothers have done nothing but degrade me all evening. You and your family have commented upon my body weight, my appearance, my attire, my profession, my voice, my refusal to act as submissive as you want me to be, my inability to remain quiet after you’ve insulted me and many more things besides. And you wonder why you and your brothers are finding it difficult to settle down with a mate? Nobody wants you because you’re so shockingly abusive! And what’s worse is you think it’s perfectly acceptable to act the way you do!”

The omega crossed his arms. “How would you like it if I started treating you like an aggressive, bull-headed beast? Like an animal that just wants to fight and breed? That’s the way omega activists view alphas. That’s them stereotyping you. Would you like me to treat you like that because you have no problem in stereotyping me?”

Lucifer tensed. 

“This is your problem; you think the world is against you. It’s not. I’m merely treating you the way etiquette states you are to be treated. If you’d have been raised properly by your parents, you’d know that it’s just tradition.”

Gabriel snarled at Lucifer and the alpha grit his teeth at the blatant show of rebellion.

“Don’t you ever talk about my parents,” hissed Gabriel as he stood, stalking towards Lucifer. “I don’t want to hear your filthy mouth even mention them!”

Lucifer growled. “Enough of this ridiculous behaviour, Gabriel. I was merely stating a fact. I wasn’t trying to insult you.”

The alpha quickly found himself pinned against a wall and he blinked in surprise at the omega’s strength.

“You’re always trying to insult me!” Gabriel roared. “Every other sentence is an insult! You will never have a willing mate because you wouldn’t know how to be a decent human being if a manual for dummies fell from the sky and knocked you unconscious! You’re a walking disaster; an advert for how to act if you want the whole world to despise you!

“The only reason I’m courting you is because you hurt Meg and I want to make you suffer. You’re so stupid you can’t see that this relationship will never work; you’re just going to keep courting me because you think our souls reacting to each other means you have to. Well that’s fine by me. It just means I can hurt you for longer.”

Lucifer grabbed Gabriel’s wrists and tried to flip their positions but the omega kneed him in the stomach before he got a chance.

“You have no idea how much I hate you,” whispered Gabriel, fire in his gaze. “But you will by the time I’m finished with you.”

With one last knee to Lucifer’s groin, Gabriel prowled away, intent on leaving the house, but he was knocked off-guard when arms tightened around his middle and he was hurled onto the couch. His hands were pinned above his head as he was stretched over the plush cushions and Gabriel’s eyes widened when Lucifer straddled him, trapping him beneath his larger frame.

Their faces were separated by a mere few inches and all Gabriel could see was the burning fury in Lucifer’s gaze.

“You're the most infuriating omega I have ever had the displeasure of meeting,” whispered Lucifer. “You are crude, rebellious, foul-mouthed, hot-tempered and an embarrassment to everyone around you. I wish our souls had never reacted but unfortunately, they did and I’m stuck with you. However, know one thing about me, Gabriel: I never back down from a challenge. If you think I’m going to be the first one to crack from whatever game you’re trying to play, then you are sorely mistaken.”

Gabriel snarled animalistically and Lucifer tightened his grip on the omega’s wrists.

“Since you obviously aren’t capable of holding a civilised conversation, I’m forced to trap you to get you to talk to me. Now tell me: what happened with your parents? I want the whole story, not a snippet of it.”

“Why do you care?” Snapped Gabriel and Lucifer finally exploded.

“Because we’re supposed to be soulmates!” He yelled. “I’m your alpha; I’m supposed to be the one you come to when something’s troubling you. I’m supposed to protect and reassure you! You’re not supposed feel the need to keep secrets from me! I’m meant to take care of you; keep you in a home; give you all the things you want; give you enough money to do everything!”

Gabriel fell silent, eyes wide and shocked.

“…I loved my parents," he said quietly after a few moments. "We had a very close relationship. We did everything together and they let me do pretty much everything I wanted. I asked for a puppy, they got me a puppy; I wanted to go to Disney, they took me to Disney; I wanted to throw a house party, they left for the night and let me throw a house party with my friends. Everything was perfect. I had friends, a big house and loving parents. My life couldn’t have been any better.

“Then one night, I went to a night club with some buddies. Next thing I know, I get a phone call from our neighbours and they’re screaming for me to get to the house; something’s happened, something’s wrong.

“When I got there, there were ambulances and police cars and fire engines everywhere. My house was just a pile of blazing rubble and I couldn’t see my parents. Next thing I hear is the firemen are ‘searching for survivors’.” Gabriel shrugged but he couldn’t quite meet Lucifer’s gaze. “They didn’t find any.”

Lucifer loosened his grip slightly as a frown creased his brows, but he didn’t say anything and Gabriel felt more vulnerable than ever. He also couldn’t deny the sense of rejection flooding his body. He wriggled a little to see if the alpha would release him, but Lucifer didn’t.

“Nobody ever found out how the fire started,” mumbled Gabriel and Lucifer still didn’t reply.

“You know my story, now let me go,” whispered Gabriel but Lucifer was staring at him oddly as if he was trying to figure something out.

“You blame yourself,” he said slowly. “Why?”

Gabriel flinched. Since when was Lucifer so observant?

“I should’ve been there,” he said simply. “I might’ve been able to save them.” 

The alpha frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Gabriel tensed, anger boiling inside him at the alpha’s dismissive attitude but Lucifer wasn’t finished.

“You couldn’t fight a fire like that alone. If you’d been there, you’d most certainly have perished with them.”

“I could’ve tried,” Gabriel snapped, holding back a few tears that were threatening to spill over.

Lucifer scowled. “Why are you angry at me?” He asked exasperatedly and the omega wriggled again, trying to escape.

“Because you’re so cold,” hissed Gabriel. “I pour my heart out to you and you act so dismissive. It’s like you don’t have any feelings. You’re so insensitive; like a robot working out the most logical course of action in a scenario that never should have happened.”

Lucifer glared at the omega. “I’m stating a fact! If you’d have been in that house when the fire started, you’d also be dead!”

“Get off me,” growled Gabriel. “Get off; you’ve said enough.”

Lucifer tightened his grip.

“I don’t understand you, Gabriel. When I don’t ask about your life, you yell at me and when I show an interest, you still yell at me! What do you want from me?”

“If you can’t understand that, then you’re a lost cause!” Hissed Gabriel but Lucifer still wouldn’t release him despite his frantic squirming.

The alpha said nothing more and after a few minutes Gabriel admitted defeat and resigned himself to the fact he wouldn’t be able to move until Lucifer allowed him to.

Ten minutes passed and Lucifer looked deep in thought as he stared holes into the floor. He hadn’t looked at Gabriel once and the omega refused to look at the alpha, instead counting the spotlights in the ceiling for the fifty-seventh time.

Eventually, Gabriel tired of their avoidance of one another.

“Y’know… just because you’re an alpha, it doesn’t mean you have to be the bread-winner. You’re under no obligation to keep all the finances in order on your own,” he commented idly.

Lucifer frowned. “Of course I am.”

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow as he glanced up at the alpha.

“You’re really not. It’s not solely your job to keep your partner in a home, to pay the bills, to keep food in the house and to make sure you can buy them whatever they want, whenever they ask for it. That’s a really antiquated concept. Everybody knows it’s unreasonable to ask someone to do all that.”

Lucifer finally met his gaze. “Well, what’s the use of an alpha who can’t provide for his mate?” He asked tersely. “What kind of alpha has to rely on his mate’s income to ensure their house isn’t taken away from them, or that they don’t starve or have no electricity or water to keep warm and clean?”

Gabriel blinked as he remembered Raphael’s comment from dinner over how Lucifer would have to _‘do something about Gabriel’s job as omegas have no place in a labouring profession’._

Suddenly, the sentence had a whole new meaning.

“Are you bothered about me having a job?” Gabriel blurted and before Lucifer had a chance to snap at him, the omega continued. “Because seriously, I’m not working to emasculate you or anything like that. I just like being a chef; I’ve been doing it for years. I’m not trying to humiliate you or anything.”

Now Gabriel looked at the alpha, he could see the insecurity behind his eyes; the constant worry that he wasn’t ‘alpha enough’ to provide for his potential mate.

It probably didn’t help that Gabriel had a very high-paying job (although Lucifer’s was slightly higher because he worked at his father’s firm; in competition with Michael and Raphael to take over the business when their father retired).

“Lucifer, I promise you; I’m not trying to prove anything by working at the restaurant,” murmured Gabriel as sincerely as he could and the alpha dropped his gaze.

Gabriel was stunned by the first show of insecurity he’d ever seen from Lucifer and the omega frowned as he remembered some of the other things Lucifer had mentioned in his earlier outburst.

“…You also realise that just because you’re an alpha, it doesn’t mean you always have to be the one doing the comforting? You’re allowed to have emotions too and you’re allowed to seek comfort from others. It doesn’t make you weak or any less of an alpha to have feelings or to go to your mate when something’s troubling you. That’s how relationships work; it’s a two-way street,” the omega whispered and Lucifer glanced at him with a frown.

“That’s not… that isn’t how… but Michael stays strong for Anna. He looks after her the way an alpha should. She doesn’t work and she never has to watch him break down. He’s always there for her and they never fight. Everybody thinks Michael is the perfect alpha and Anna is the most beautiful, polite omega they’ve ever met. They made it work… so… why can’t I?” Lucifer asked quietly and Gabriel’s gaze softened.

“You’re not your brother. You need to stop comparing yourself to him. You’re different and that’s not a bad thing. But I’m not Anna, either. I don’t want to be that type of omega. I don’t want to be stereotyped and I don’t want to be submissive and fit into everyone’s little box of expectations. It’s just not who I am, and I never will be that person.”

Lucifer tilted his head as he listened, obviously contemplating Gabriel’s words.

“I don’t want to be in a relationship where we both have to act the way everyone else wants us to act,” continued Gabriel. “Why should we let them all have a say in our lives with each other? It’s nothing to do with them. 

“I don’t want an alpha who thinks he can’t come to me when he has problems. I don’t want him to keep secrets from me just as I don’t want to keep secrets from him. I don’t want him to feel pressured into taking care of the finances alone; I want him to know that if anything happened, there’s someone else to keep the bills paid and the house running. He doesn’t have to start panicking in an emergency because there’ll be someone supporting him; someone by his side at all times who’ll be there for him no matter what. I want an alpha who isn’t afraid to show that he has feelings; someone who’ll laugh and cry and be angry with me. I don’t want him to treat me like a prized Poodle to show off in front of his friends and family. As cliché as it sounds, I want someone who’ll love me for me, not because I’m a “polite omega”.”

Lucifer looked a little confused but he eventually nodded and slowly released Gabriel. The pair sat upright and Gabriel clasped his hands as he stared at his lap, suddenly averse to leaving the room despite wanting to only minutes ago.

“That’s what respect is,” he mumbled softly. “Not acting how tradition states you’re supposed to.”

He had a feeling he’d overwhelmed the alpha and he was beginning to wonder how much of Lucifer’s bad attitude was actually his fault. It sounded as though he’d had far too many expectations placed on him over the years and the way he constantly compared himself to his brother wasn’t encouraging. How many times had Lucifer’s parents told him to _‘act more like Michael’_?

As if Michael was the perfect role model.

Gabriel risked a glance towards the alpha and he wondered if Lucifer would be capable of learning a new way of looking at the world when he’d spent twenty-five years of his life living under a traditional roof.

The alpha was frowning at his feet, obviously in deep thought and it gave Gabriel a little bit of hope that he was at least willing to consider it.

“Could you at least stop kicking me in the crotch every time you’re angry with me?” Murmured Lucifer and a slow smile wormed its way across Gabriel’s face.

“Will you stop losing your temper with me and throwing me into walls or couches or floors?”

Lucifer pulled a face. “Depends if you keep hitting me.”

“I only hit you when you make a grab for me,” countered Gabriel and Lucifer stared at him.

“You kneed me in the stomach and the crotch earlier without me laying a hand on you.”

“And then you pinned me to the couch for half an hour and refused to let me go.”

“Yes, because you kneed me in the stomach and crotch!”

“You deserved it.”

“You’re infuriating!” Huffed Lucifer in exasperation as he threw his hands up and Gabriel grinned.

“I could say the same about you.”

“You have. Multiple times,” commented Lucifer drily and Gabriel snickered. 

“Tell you what: I’ll stop aiming for your manhood if you stop throwing me against flat surfaces,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Lucifer snorted.

“Fine. Deal.” But there was a quirk to his lips and Gabriel wondered in that moment if something had changed between them. The atmosphere certainly felt a lot less hostile.

“…Any chance you can tone the sarcasm down a little?” Tried Lucifer and Gabriel chuckled and shook his head.

“Nope.”

“...I had a feeling you might say that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the plot still going in the same direction as you initially thought? Are the characters the people you originally believed them to be? Hope you enjoyed!


	20. Dreamboats and Trenchcoats

Later that week, Dean managed to corner Crowley about Uriel’s words by inviting him over for a movie and takeout.

He had lured the alpha into a false sense of security, knowing Crowley wouldn’t freely offer the information he wanted unless he was completely relaxed and maybe a little sleepy from all the food.

They cuddled on Dean’s bed as they watched _‘Lord of the Rings’_ (both of them were a nerdy like that) and about two hours into the film, when the sky outside had fallen into darkness and John had passed out from alcohol downstairs whilst Sammy lay soundly asleep in the next room, Dean gently squeezed the arm Crowley was resting over the omega’s stomach.

He pressed a soft kiss to Crowley’s chest before tucking his head under his chin and waiting for the alpha to tug him closer in approval. When he was sure the alpha was content, he tilted his head fractionally.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” He murmured and Crowley hummed absently as he kept his gaze locked on the film, expression almost child-like as he was engrossed by the events on-screen.

“You don’t have to be ashamed of telling me anything. You know I’ll support whatever you have to do, right?” Dean tried and Crowley nodded idly as he pressed a kiss to the omega’s hair, before returning his attention to the laptop.

Dean frowned in frustration.

“So, if there’s anything you want to tell me… anything at all, just… tell me. It doesn’t matter what it is; I won’t judge.”

This time Crowley’s brow creased slightly and he glanced down at the omega.

“Is there a point to this line of conversation?”

Dean decided to be blunt. He’d never been much good at carefully approaching sensitive topics anyway. Might as well get on with it.

“What was Uriel talking about on Tuesday? When he said he saw you… skulking?”

Crowley tensed, looking as though he was going to bolt at any second and Dean quickly placed a placating hand on his chest as he lifted his head so they could look at one another.

“Easy, easy. Like I said: not judging, just curious.”

“Dean, I really don’t think you should be asking me about that,” murmured Crowley, a hint of panic in his gaze and Dean shook his head sadly.

“I promise, I won’t be mad about whatever you’re doing. Just tell me the truth, okay? It won’t change anything between us.”

“I really don’t want to involve you in any of this.”

Dean pressed his lips tenderly to the alpha’s, the action slow and deliberate and he stroked his thumb over the other boy’s stubbly cheek.

“I'll still want you, Crowley. You having to pleasure a couple of alphas because of whatever reason won’t change that,” he promised sincerely. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

Crowley was silent for a few moments and when Dean leaned back to take a look at him, the alpha looked incredibly confused and maybe a little put out.

“…Why on Earth would I be pleasuring alphas?” Crowley asked in utter befuddlement before frowning slightly. “I thought I told you I wasn’t cheating on you. I promise I’m not with anyone else- ”

“Woah, woah, I believe you,” muttered Dean before tilting his head, puzzled. “But Uriel said he saw you hanging around that place where the prostitutes go to pleasure alphas…?”

Crowley snorted. “Uriel is an idiot with the detective skills of a mentally deficient puppy.” Crowley glanced at him in amusement. “Trust me, I’m not giving secret hand-jobs to alphas in dirty back alleys.”

Dean frowned thoughtfully. “Then what were you doing in those alleys?”

Once again, a look of concern flashed behind Crowley’s eyes. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea of you to ask that. You’re better off not knowing.”

“Well now you have to tell me,” insisted Dean. “C’mon, man, it’s not gonna make any difference to the way I feel about you.”

Crowley chuckled humourlessly. “Just drop it, okay? It’s not important anyway.”

Dean was about to protest further when Crowley’s phone buzzed with a message.

The alpha raised an eyebrow as he noted the sender and when he opened the text, his face grew rapidly darker. By the time he reached the bottom of the message, he looked a mixture of angry and panicked and he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

“Crowley? What’s wrong?” Dean asked softly, nuzzling the alpha’s jaw in hopes it would soothe him. Crowley pressed a grateful kiss to his head.

“Nothing,” he sighed. “It doesn’t matter. My boss has given me more work over the next couple of weeks. I thought we were finished with the situation but apparently not.”

Dean cocked his head to one side. “Anything I can help you with? To take the pressure off?”

“ _No!_ ” Blurted Crowley quickly before Dean’s startled glance had him dragging a hand over his weary face.

“No,” he repeated calmly. “Definitely not. This is something I have to figure out myself.”

Dean’s gaze softened as Crowley sighed, troubled.

“Let me help. I hate seeing you so stressed. It’ll give me an excuse to be with you,” pleaded Dean and the alpha shook his head as he sat up, gently pushing Dean away.

“You really don’t want to help with this. Trust me, you don’t want anything to do with any of this mess.” The alpha looked exhausted. “I may not be able to see you all that much outside of school for the next couple of weeks. Sorry, Dean.”

The omega pouted although Crowley would never tell him that.

“At least tell me what it is you do.”

“I can’t, Dean, I- ”

He was cut off by his phone buzzing again, and this time there was a series of rapid fire texts, each seeming more urgent than the last.

Crowley’s face darkened further, making Dean shiver and the alpha bit out a heated curse.

He glanced up at Dean worriedly before closing his eyes in defeat.

“…Maybe you can help.”

Dean perked up. “Awesome,” he grinned, trying to reassure the distressed alpha that he was perfectly fine with helping out. “What do I have to do?”

The alpha glanced at him almost regretfully before sighing quietly.

“Well, you know how I’m part of the ‘family business’?” Muttered Crowley. “Our _‘business’_ involves a… trade of sorts. A deal, if you will. We don’t have many dissatisfied customers, but we do have the occasional customer that refuses to pay for what they bought. 

“We’ve got one of those cases at the moment and we can’t contact him in any way. He won’t meet with us and he owes us quite a bit of money, but he’s refusing to pay. We need someone to meet with him; someone who he doesn’t recognise from our… firm. We need someone to convince him to pay us in full.”

Dean nodded contemplatively. “Can’t you just take him to court or get the police involved? I mean, sounds to me like he stole from you.”

Crowley grimaced. “Ah… The police are out of the equation. They don’t consider what he did… ‘stealing’, as such.”

Dean frowned. “That’s not right. What are you guys selling?”

Crowley gulped minutely as he stared at Dean, before he slowly began to shake his head.

“I’m afraid I can’t discuss that. Bit of a family secret for… select people.”

Dean suddenly wondered if Crowley’s family had something to do with the FBI, or maybe the secret service. Maybe they supplied gadgets and gizmos to the top agents in America?

“Oh, okay,” hummed Dean. “Cool, I’d love to help.”

Crowley looked troubled. “…Great. Meet me on Saturday at around six o’clock. We know this customer frequents a certain bar on a Saturday night around seven. It’ll give us enough time to tell you what you need to say and do to get him to pay.”

Dean nodded nonchalantly, trying to seem as though he wasn’t extremely excited to be taking part in a secret agent-style mission. So that’s why Crowley had been in those alleys; he’d been staking out the bar! It would also explain why Crowley’s family couldn’t get the police involved; this was probably all a bit beyond them. Maybe the “customer” was actually a spy that had stolen secrets from Crowley’s family or maybe he’d stolen a gadget from them and Crowley was trying to get it back.

Dean had such an awesome boyfriend. He was so proud of him.

At another text message, Crowley winced and looked over to Dean apologetically. 

“I’ve really got to go,” he murmured and Dean nodded. He couldn’t keep his heroic, patriotic boyfriend from business.

“See you later,” said Dean after placing a doting kiss on the alpha’s lips. He was surprised when Crowley kissed him back almost desperately, as if they wouldn’t see each other for a very long time.

“Bye, Dean,” mumbled Crowley before vanishing from the room, the door closing quietly behind him.

Dean shook his head in amusement. He was looking forward to the weekend.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel paused outside Lucifer’s bedroom when he heard it. He’d left his jacket in the alpha’s bedroom from dinner at the beginning of the week and today was the first day he’d had time to pick it up.

Naomi had let him into the house with a look of barely concealed disgust (which Gabriel had ignored), before he’d jogged up the elaborate staircase to reach Lucifer’s room.

He refrained from knocking when he heard the delicate, sorrowful string melody that was pouring from the alpha’s room. It was incredibly expressive and the amount of emotion woven into every note made Gabriel wonder who was playing. He’d never heard a violin solo without any backing, but it was so perfectly timed and skilfully played that it just had to be a CD. 

Funny. Gabriel had never pegged Lucifer for a slow, lamenting violin solo kind of guy.

Suddenly, the music stopped and Gabriel heard a page turn before the violin started up again and the omega’s eyes widened. _No way._

He carefully nudged the door open and popped his head into the room, making certain to keep as silent as possible and what he saw made him stifle a gasp.

Lucifer looked so relaxed with the old (but obviously well-cared-for) violin resting under his chin, and he gazed peacefully out of the window once he got over a particularly tricky bar in the piece, thoughts drifting as the bow danced over the strings, seemingly without effort. He smiled when he reached a particular part in the music and Gabriel heard a change in the tone of the instrument, and with a start, Gabriel realised it was reflecting the alpha’s mood. 

The music changed again, into something more lively and Lucifer seemed to float across the floor as he lost himself in the piece, even performing a little twirl after a melodious trill.

The alpha’s expression was warm and fond and Gabriel realised he’d never seen Lucifer truly happy. He couldn’t help but lean a little further into the room, hoping to catch more of this new side of the supposedly cold and cruel alpha.

Alas, the door creaked from Gabriel’s weight and Lucifer stiffened as he whirled sharply, facing his intruder as he hid his violin and bow behind his back.

He scowled at Gabriel.

“What are you doing?” He demanded. “Why are you snooping outside my room?”

Gabriel trudged in sheepishly before nodding to the jacket lying over Gabriel’s bed post.

“Um… I came to pick up that,” he admitted awkwardly and Lucifer glanced at it and relaxed minutely.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” He sneered as Gabriel moved to grab the jacket and the omega ducked his head guiltily.

“Sorry,” he mumbled before making his way to the door again. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Lucifer huffed. “Haven’t you ever been taught it’s rude to sneak around somebody’s house? Gives the impression you were up to no good.”

Gabriel shrugged apologetically. Might as well be honest.

“You sounded amazing and since you never told me you could play, I wanted to see if it was really you. Then I guess I got a little carried away with the beautiful music. It’s an inspiring piece. Who composed it?”

Lucifer shifted self-consciously. “I did.”

Gabriel blinked in surprise. “Oh.”

The alpha frowned at him and Gabriel shook his head.

“That was… well, it was… it sounded gorgeous, Lucifer. You’re very talented; both at playing and composing. It’s very impressive.”

Lucifer perked up slightly and Gabriel couldn’t help but smile. It was like watching a young child getting praised for his first gold star. Lucifer looked genuinely pleased by the compliment.

“How long have you been playing?” Asked Gabriel, relaxing a little when he realised he wasn’t going to get yelled at.

The alpha slowly pulled his instrument around to his front so the omega could get a better look at it.

“Since I was six,” murmured Lucifer as he glanced at his violin like it was something precious; something he would guard with his life. Gabriel had never seen the alpha look so proud of anything before. His smile was handsome when it wasn’t a smirk or a sneer.

“Mother made us all learn classical instruments around that age and I chose violin because that’s what Mikey chose when he was my age.” 

Gabriel smiled at the childhood nickname and tilted his head to show he was listening. 

“Eventually, like everything else, it became a competition between us to see who could play better. We used to compete for lead position in orchestras, enter competitions to see who could beat the other, even get our parents to judge us sometimes. Of course, Mikey usually won. I mean, he had two extra years of practice on me, being older, but I never really saw it that way. I just saw it as him being better than me; he was always so perfect and I wasn’t and it made me try harder, practice more, write more until I started to beat him, until maestros started to notice me and our parents started complimenting me for my hard work.”

The alpha shrugged a little forcedly. “Then, Father started mentioning that he needed someone to pass the family business onto and suddenly, violin practice didn’t seem so important anymore. I’ve not played in an orchestra for years and my technique’s starting to get rusty. Still, what’s the point in practising? It’s not like it’s going to be any use to my life,” he said with a touch of regret. “It was great to keep me entertained throughout childhood, but after that it’s a useless skill.”

Gabriel frowned. That wasn’t right.

“Not really. There’s nothing wrong with having a passion, in fact, it can be a very good thing. It can be a way of relaxing after a stressful day or it can be an outlet when you feel like you have too many problems to face. Sometimes you can play just because you're happy. A lot of people have gone far by sticking to their passion. Look at all the amazing composers you hear of. Do you think Debussy regrets learning the piano, or Beethoven regrets writing his symphonies?

“I don’t think you should just give up playing. Especially when you’re so good at it. Don’t let another great composer fade away.”

Lucifer blinked at Gabriel in surprise before averting his gaze almost shyly at the omega’s last comment. 

“…Do you play?” Lucifer asked, suddenly wanting to move the attention away from him. He wasn’t used to people being sincere in their compliments for him. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react.

Gabriel chuckled. “Trumpet when I was younger. Still dabble on it every now and again, but I was never as good as you and it’s nowhere near as difficult to play as a violin. I did play in my fair share of youth orchestras though before I decided I liked cooking more.”

Lucifer raised an interested eyebrow. “When did you start playing?”

“I think I was eight,” hummed Gabriel. “Can’t really remember. I just remember the awfully prim and proper teacher saying I had to _‘blow harder’_ and _‘lube my slide’_ , which became extremely amusing to me when I reached puberty.”

Lucifer laughed softly and Gabriel decided he liked the genuine sound.

“I remember many years of being told to _‘finger more accurately’_ ,” commented Lucifer. “I had to hold back my snickers because Michael would have scolded me for being so childish.”

Gabriel grinned. “If you haven’t laughed at a musical innuendo, you never had a complete childhood.”

“Agreed,” murmured Lucifer solemnly before casting his gaze down to his violin. He eventually glanced back up at Gabriel, a sly smirk residing over his features.

“What’s the difference between government bonds and a trumpet player?”

A slow grin spread over Gabriel’s face. Were they really going to relive the typical brass versus strings insults?

“Not a clue.”

“Government bonds actually mature and earn money,” smirked Lucifer and a challenge flashed behind Gabriel’s eyes as he crossed his arms playfully.

“Oh yeah? What’s the difference between a violinist and a dog?”

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow and Gabriel grinned.

“The dog knows when to stop scratching.”

Lucifer huffed out a laugh.

“What’s the difference between a trumpet and horse manure?”

“Don’t know.”

“Neither do I.”

Gabriel feigned an expression of shock as Lucifer smirked triumphantly. 

“Fine,” huffed Gabriel. “What’s the perfect weight for a violinist?”

Lucifer shook his head with a grin.

“About three and a half pounds, including the urn,” teased Gabriel, sticking out his tongue and Lucifer chuckled, his whole face lighting up in amusement.

“Play something for me,” said Gabriel after a few moments, smile bright and encouraging and Lucifer glanced at him in surprise.

Gabriel shrugged. “I like hearing you play. You have a fantastic tone.”

“A trumpeter wanting to listen to a real instrument? There’s a shock,” Lucifer quipped and Gabriel rolled his eyes fondly. 

“I just want to confirm I chose the better instrument,” he shot back without missing a beat and Lucifer shook his head with a small smile before slowly lifting his violin.

“…What would you like me to play?” He asked softly and Gabriel walked further into the room with a shrug.

“Maybe something you’ve written?”

Lucifer beamed at him. It was a timid thing at first, but it spread over his face like wildfire when he realised the omega was serious and Gabriel decided the alpha really needed to smile more. His face was warm and inviting when he was acting pleasant.

“Okay,” murmured Lucifer as Gabriel moved to sit on his bed.

The alpha raised his bow and began a new piece, this one jaunty and joyful in a way that seemed so unlike Lucifer’s personality yet somehow suited him and Gabriel found himself captivated. From the music itself to the way Lucifer’s fingers fluttered over the strings and how his expression seemed to reflect the mood of the piece and the section he was playing, Gabriel couldn’t tear his gaze away.

Lucifer seemed to be enjoying himself too, and for a brief moment, their eyes met and they shared a secretive smile before Lucifer’s gaze was back on his fingers and Gabriel was staring at all of the alpha, from the way he moved across the floor to the amusement dancing behind his eyes.

Gabriel left the Novak household three hours later. 

He forgot his jacket.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Cas! Wait up!” Called a familiar voice and Castiel turned to find Dean running over to him, a paper bag in his hand.

“Hold on,” he panted as he came to a halt in front of the alpha, bending over slightly to catch his breath.

Suddenly, he thrust the bag towards Cas and the alpha took it confusedly. As soon as the omega handed it over, he turned sheepish, anxious almost.

“I never got a chance to give it to you earlier today,” mumbled Dean. “I know it’s not much and it’s nowhere near the quality you’re used to, but it was the best I could afford and it kind of reminded me of you. I know how much you said you like _Columbo_.”

Intrigued, Cas fished in the bag and pulled out a tan trench coat, not dissimilar to the one his favourite TV detective wore.

“I just wanted to say thank you for everything. You uh… you helped me out during my Shift and it means a lot to me. Not many people would go to the effort you went to, but you never once complained and you never asked for anything in return and I don’t know… I guess… I guess what I’m trying to say is if you ever need anything… anything at all, know that I’m here and I’ll help you with whatever you want. It’s the least I can do after all you’ve already done for me,” the omega stuttered awkwardly, refusing to meet Cas’ gaze.

Castiel was smiling widely as he held the coat to his chest. 

“Thank you, Dean,” he murmured softly. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Oh, if you don’t like it, I can take it back- ” Mumbled Dean embarrassedly but Castiel immediately held the coat tighter.

“I love it, Dean. Thank you. I’m honoured you thought of me.” To prove that he was being sincere, he unfolded the trench and pulled it on. It was a little too wide for his frame and the sleeves were a fraction too long, but Cas couldn’t care less. Dean had gone out of his way to buy him a present despite it not being a special occasion and regardless of him having very little money, and he had chosen something that Cas had mentioned liking; something from a show he enjoyed. Dean had paid attention to his interests and Cas had never had friends who were so observant and thoughtful.

The alpha beamed at Dean and when the omega spotted the expression, his face brightened in happiness that he’d done something right.

“Right, well. Glad you like it,” said Dean gruffly, trying to cover for the emotional moment, which Cas thought was ridiculous because they’d spent an entire two weeks cuddling in Dean’s bed. Surely, they were past being uncomfortable with expressing emotion?

Castiel nodded as he tugged the coat a little tighter around his frame and Dean’s lips quirked at the action.

“I’ll uh… I’ll let you go home now,” he mumbled and Cas tilted his head.

“Are you walking home or are you catching the bus?”

Dean shrugged. “Probably walk it. It’s a nice day.”

“Would you like me to walk with you?” Cas asked and Dean shook his head.

“Nah, it’s fine. I can’t ask you to walk all that way with me only to have to traipse all the way back. Besides, isn’t your mom picking you up?”

“No. I’ve taken to finding my own way back,” replied Cas. It meant he didn’t have to listen to his mother’s constant plans about breaking Dean and Crowley apart.

Dean looked a little hopeful. “Oh, cool.”

Cas hid an amused smirk. “So… would you like me to walk with you? I enjoy being in the fresh air anyway.”

Dean shrugged. “If you want,” he said nonchalantly and Cas grinned because Dean’s was very easy to read.

They walked to Dean’s house together, chatting about anything that came to them and they were reluctant to part when they finally reached the house. They managed to eventually though, and by the time Castiel returned home, dinner was about to be laid out.

“You're late,” commented Zachariah and Cas walked into the dining room without taking his coat off. He wanted to show his family what Dean had bought him.

“I was talking to Dean,” explained Cas. “He bought me this.” He gestured to the trench coat with a smile. 

Michael looked up from his phone and pulled a face. _“Why?”_

“He said he thought of me when he saw it,” hummed Cas as he fingered a lapel fondly. “Because I like Columbo.”

Zachariah curled his lip up in disgust.

“But it’s ratty and creased and it’s about two sizes too big for you. Where did he get it from? The waste of some charity shop?”

Cas frowned. “I like it. The quality isn’t that bad and the size was the best he could do when he only had his own measurements to go off. Besides, that’s not the point. He bought me something he thought I’d like, despite not needing to, even though he has practically no money to spare.”

Raphael shook his head. “He shouldn’t have bothered. The thing looks dreadful. Put it in the trash when you next go outside.”

Castiel scowled and hugged the coat a little tighter to himself.

“I will not,” he huffed. “I like it and I’m keeping it.”

“Castiel, you can’t go out looking like a homeless beggar. What would the neighbours think? All your friends would laugh at you,” said Zachariah dismissively. “Throw it out.”

“No,” protested Cas. “I don’t care what our pretentious neighbours think, nor do I care what rude, arrogant idiots such as the likes of Alistair, Gordon and Uriel think. In fact, I wish I’d never become a part of that group. I wish I’d never spoken to any of them. They’re not my friends. They’re not even nice people; all they do is mock and ridicule and degrade everyone around them and they take pleasure in upsetting others. I don’t want to be a part of that. It’s not right.”

At the end of his rant, the whole family were staring at Cas and Naomi had walked in from the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about.

“What are you wearing, Castiel? Take that awful thing off and throw it outside. You look ridiculous,” she tutted and Cas crossed his arms.

“It was a present from Dean and I’m keeping it.”

Michael shook his head. “What is wrong with you brother? You’re behaving rather out of character. How can you say you don’t like Uriel and the rest of that group? You’ve been friends with them for years.”

“They’re not my friends,” insisted Cas before frowning. “They only hang around each other because they all have wealth and they’re all alphas and think they’re somehow more important than everyone else. Half of them don’t even like each other; they just pretend to because they think it gives them a right to make other students’ lives miserable. The only reason I started hanging out with them was because Mother and Father knew all their parents and even Mother and Father don’t really like them.”

Zachariah scowled. “Of course we like them.”

“No, you don’t,” huffed Cas. “You just pretend to when you’re with them but you talk about them as soon as they’re out of earshot.”

“That’s quite enough, Castiel,” interrupted Naomi sternly. “You’ll take that coat off and you’ll throw it away so we never have to see that ugly thing again, and you will refrain from mentioning anything about it in the future. Do you understand?”

Cas narrowed his eyes. “I’m not throwing it away.”

Naomi and Zachariah blinked as Michael and Raphael glanced at each other in shock. Nobody had ever heard Castiel disobey his parents so defiantly. Lucifer was oddly quiet during the whole affair. 

“Take the coat outside, sit down at the table and don’t speak for the remainder of the meal that your Mother has worked so hard to prepare,” murmured Zachariah lowly, warningly.

Castiel crossed his arms. “No.”

“Go to your room,” growled Zachariah. “No supper. I will speak with you later.”

Castiel turned silently and stormed up the stairs into his room, desperately trying to ignore the sting in his heart that his family didn’t seem to understand why the coat was so important to him. He carefully shrugged the trench off and held it close to his chest.

He didn’t care what his family thought. He had better friends now. Friends that meant something to him and who he meant something to. Sam and Dean were kind to him; he wasn’t going to throw their kindness back in their faces by listening to his parents’ and brothers’ antiquated views any longer. 

He could make his own choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit more of Cas since we haven't heard much of him in a while! Hey look! More progress! Go Cas! Also: Crowley?


	21. Don't give up

“When are you going to ask your omega to stop working at that restaurant anyway, Lucifer?” Asked Naomi airily as everyone began tucking into their meal. “I mean, it’s unbefitting of an alpha to let his mate work all day, especially in such a stressful environment. Kitchen work is fine as long as it’s at home.”

It was Saturday and Michael and Anna had come to visit, as had Gabriel. However, whilst Anna kept her gaze lowered and remained silent unless spoken to, taking small, polite bites of her meal, Gabriel made it quite clear that he was going to behave like the alphas around the table. If they could chat and enjoy their dinner, then so could he.

At Naomi’s remark, Gabriel cocked a challenging eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with me working as a chef? I’ve only chopped off a _few_ fingers… and I got away with it! People thought I put baby carrots in the soup.”

There was a suspicious choking sound from Castiel and he quickly raised his hand over his mouth to cover what was most likely a grin. Gabriel shot the youngest Novak a cheeky wink. He liked Castiel; kid had a morbid sense of humour. Anna also seemed to find Gabriel at least the tiniest bit amusing if her small smile was anything to go by.

The rest of the family looked disturbed, excepting Lucifer who closed his eyes in exasperation.

Choosing to completely ignore the omega, Naomi once again turned to her second oldest son. 

“Well, dear?” She asked expectantly. “When are you going to tell him to quit?”

“…Not yet,” mumbled Lucifer vaguely and Gabriel decided to pipe up once more.

“Not that I’d listen if he did tell me to quit. I happen to like working with _long, sharp, heavy_ knives.”

Naomi sent him a nasty glare before returning her impatient gaze to her son.

“Well you’re going to have to do something about him soon. What would everyone think if they heard you were letting your omega work? Rumours are bound to spread. People will think you’re relying on his income and what kind of image does that create for a strong, intelligent alpha like you? The neighbours will believe you’re one of those stay-at-home slobs who rides off the back of their mate.”

Lucifer frowned briefly but didn’t meet anyone’s gaze as he focused on his meal.

“Of course, Mother,” he murmured obediently in a way that sounded as though he’d been giving in to his parents’ demented rules and expectations for far too long.

The thought made Gabriel bristle. Who did this woman think she was; humiliating and ridiculing her son until she moulded him into her Ken-doll reincarnation of _The Perfect Alpha™_? Lucifer had his own thoughts and opinions; he could make his own decisions!

“Right, because treating your mate as your equal and supporting their dreams and ambitions are all signs of an absolutely _appalling_ alpha,” drawled Gabriel. “Definitely proves their weakness and lack of intelligence. Can you imagine? Letting an omega _work_ instead of taking away their freedom and forcing them to stay at home all day for the rest of their lives?” He shook his head solemnly. “Simply dreadful.”

Anna was full out grinning by now, even though she was trying her best to hide it by staring directly downwards. Castiel huffed out a soft laugh and at Michael’s stern glance, the youngest alpha averted his gaze, but his smirk lingered.

Lucifer sent Gabriel an indecipherable look, but it was brief and he quickly turned back to his meal. The rest of the family seemed increasingly frustrated with Gabriel’s interruptions.

“Control your omega, brother,” muttered Michael warningly. “He’s being disrespectful.”

“His name is Gabriel and his hearing is perfect. He doesn’t like being referred to as though he’s a dog,” Gabriel shot back, gazing at Michael steadily.

Michael blinked in apparent shock that an omega could talk back to him, before he narrowed his eyes.

“Didn’t your parents teach you any manners? Speak when spoken to. You are a guest in this house. I don’t know how you behave in your own home, but you will treat us with respect and if you wish for us to approve of your courtship with Lucifer, you will be polite and considerate, as an omega should be.”

Gabriel tensed. What was it with this family always bringing up his parents?

“I’ll be respectful of you when you’re respectful of me,” he said instead, barely biting back a growl. “And I’m not entirely convinced you’re aware that the word ‘polite’ is not synonymous with ‘obedient’ or ‘slave’.” See? He wasn’t just a pretty face; he could sound smart when he wanted to.

Michael scowled, grip on his cutlery tightening.

“Are you suggesting I’m treating my mate as a slave?” He rumbled lowly, Raphael, Zachariah and Naomi all glaring at Gabriel in distaste.

“Never said anything of the sort,” said Gabriel in a way that implied that’s exactly what he meant to suggest. “Though, have you ever asked her how she feels?”

Michael stiffened and glanced sharply at Anna, who immediately dropped her gaze. Gabriel’s hopes fell a little and soon, Michael’s intense glare was back on the golden-haired omega.

“How dare you come into this house and disrespect my mother and father, show a blatant disregard for etiquette and then to top it all off, you accuse me of… abusing my wife!” Seethed Michael. “What makes you think you’re fit to court anyone from this bloodline? You’re an overweight, unattractive, foul-mouthed, stubborn, wild animal! With your loose morals, you’re probably carrying over a hundred diseases between those chubby thighs and I actually feel concerned over my brother’s health if he chooses to continue your relationship.”

Gabriel was hurt. Not many things flustered him, but hearing this alpha point out all his flaws and insecurities whilst the rest of the family nodded in agreement, as if insulting someone so thoroughly was perfectly acceptable, made him want to curl under his covers and disappear from the world. 

He knew he wasn’t conventionally pretty like an omega and he knew he ate way too many sweets to be healthy. His sharp tongue often got him into trouble and his sarcasm was a turn-off to most people. He enjoyed sex and he wasn’t afraid to get some action when he was bored and he’d lost count of how many alphas and betas he’d been with; he’d even had fun with a few omegas despite knowing how most people saw that sort of thing. 

It was upsetting to hear what people thought of him.

He flicked his gaze to Lucifer, hoping maybe the alpha would defend him like Gabriel had defended the other man earlier, but Lucifer didn’t even spare him a glance.

And that hurt worse than Michael’s words.

So much for a potential soulmate. Here he’d thought Lucifer was actually beginning to like him. Obviously, he was too undesirable, as Michael had said.

So, Gabriel did what he always did when he was hurt. He schooled his expression into a sneer and puffed his chest out.

“Yeah, well I feel sorry for Anna. How depressing and humiliating it must be to be mated to a rude, egotistical, demeaning knot-head like you,” he bit out.

Suddenly, Zachariah snarled as Michael stood up, eyes narrowed and growl low. Raphael and Naomi were scowling at Gabriel and the omega wondered if maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

Finally, to Gabriel’s relief, Lucifer spoke up.

“That’s enough, Gabriel,” he muttered quietly. “Please refrain from degrading my family. Maybe it would be better if you didn’t speak for the remainder of the meal.”

Gabriel’s jaw dropped as Michael sat down, a triumphant smirk on his features.

“Seriously?” Gabriel hissed before he could stop himself. “Your family treat me like a dog, degrade me in the most disgusting ways and you have the gall to say I’m the one at fault because I defended myself?”

“You’ve been… difficult all evening,” murmured Lucifer as he glanced at the omega and Gabriel felt his chest constrict. That wasn’t fair.

“Cease your whining, omega,” huffed Michael. “Don’t make yourself look any more pathetic than you already are.”

Lucifer frowned for a second but said nothing more as he returned to his meal and Gabriel felt very, very alone as he watched the rest of the Novak family mutter in agreement.

“He’s _not_ pathetic,” stated a familiar voice. “Nor is he unattractive or wild. And I think it’s shameful that you would resort to referring to his weight and his previous relationships merely because you don’t have the intelligence to keep up with his quick wit.”

Gabriel’s gaze snapped up to Castiel in surprise and the young alpha glanced at him with a small, apologetic smile before returning his cold glare to Michael, who had his fork hovering half way between his plate and his mouth as his eyes grew round.

“Castiel,” began Zachariah warningly but the young alpha rolled his eyes.

“No, I’ve had enough of the way you treat Gabriel. Every time he comes over, he’s belittled and ridiculed. We’re not better than him. Being an alpha, or a beta,” here, he glared at his mother, “doesn’t make us superior to him. He’s an intelligent, exciting, wise and patient omega and I think Lucifer is an extremely lucky alpha to have the honour of courting him.”

Castiel sent a sharp look to the blond alpha. “He just needs to realise that fact.”

Gabriel decided he really liked Castiel. 

Strangely enough, Lucifer didn’t scowl or argue, he just dropped his gaze to his meal.

“ _What is the matter with you, boy?!_ ” Snarled Zachariah as he stood up abruptly. “You’ve been behaving inappropriately for weeks now! I was willing to let the little things slide; the nights away from home, the out-of-character opinions, but this sudden hostility towards your brothers and parents stops right now! You’re defiant, unruly and beginning to act like a bratty toddler! You’re an adult alpha, Castiel; start acting like one! Show some respect!”

Cas narrowed his gaze. “I am showing respect,” he hissed. “Respect for Gabriel. Respect for someone who deserves it.”

The younger alpha stood in a movement considered a challenge as he copied his father’s pose of bracing his hands against the table. Zachariah’s eyes widened in shock as the rest of the family’s jaws fell slack. Even Anna looked stunned.

Gabriel was beaming with pride.

“I’ve learned a valuable lesson over these past months,” growled Castiel. “And that is the fact that I’ve been an insufferable jerk to possibly every omega I’ve ever met. I’ve also learned that I was a narrow-minded, intolerant, self-important idiot up until I managed, by some miracle, to earn the friendship of a very special omega and his little brother, who are still teaching me right from wrong.

“However, I’m not going to take all the credit for my abhorrent personality because some of it, I learned from you. Such family favourites include _‘how to insult others without even realising you’re doing so’; ‘how to verbally abuse people in the most creative ways’; ‘Respect means worship the ground I walk on’,_ and my all-time favourite; _‘I’m an alpha, that makes me better than you’_ ,” snapped Cas. “And until you learn exactly how much your words and demented mind-set affects those around you, just like I had to, I will never respect any of you again.” 

Zachariah was doing a very good impression of the colour of a tomato and an intimidating snarl was ripped from his throat the moment Castiel finished.

The younger alpha flinched slightly but stood his ground, and Gabriel just wanted to tug the kid into a hug for being so brilliant. Whoever this Dean was, he had been a fool to choose that Crowley guy over this brave, kind-hearted, amazing alpha.

“Bedroom. Now,” seethed Zachariah and Gabriel smirked when Cas snorted.

“You don’t want to hear the truth so you ignore it in hopes it will go away,” the young alpha scoffed. “Well the facts don’t change unless you make them. Pushing them out of sight won’t make them any less true.”

And with that, he turned smartly on his heel and paced towards the door.

Before leaving, he glanced at Gabriel apologetically.

“I’m truly sorry you had to meet this unpleasant family. I can only hope you at least enjoyed the food.”

Then he slammed the door behind him.

The rest of the table were silent as they gaped at the door, before Zachariah slowly took his seat and continued with his meal. One by one the others proceeded with their meal as if nothing had happened and Gabriel glanced at Lucifer expectantly, waiting for the alpha to say something about what had just taken place, anything.

He refused to look at Gabriel.

Gabriel’s gaze darted from person to person and when he realised none of them were going to acknowledge him (except for Anna, who immediately looked away again in fear of Michael or Zachariah’s temper being directed onto her), he shook his head in disgust.

He stood wordlessly, ignoring Lucifer’s confused glance, and left the room in search of Castiel. 

 

* * *

 

“Kiddo? You in here?” Gabriel called softly as he knocked on Castiel’s door. It creaked open to reveal a frazzled-looking teenager.

“You’re only five years older than me,” Cas huffed, but there was no heat behind his words and he stepped aside to allow the omega into his room. Gabe shut the door behind him.

“Thank you, Castiel,” murmured Gabriel with a warm smile. “What you did for me back there… you have no idea how much that means to me. You didn’t need to defend me like that, but you did and I can’t thank you enough.”

Castiel frowned. “Why do I get the feeling not many people stand up for you?”

Gabriel smiled sardonically and Cas’ gaze softened in sympathy.

“They should,” he murmured. “You’re a good person. You helped me even though you had no reason to. My brothers and parents had no right to say any of those cruel things about you and I’m sorry you had to listen to it. You don’t deserve it.”

Gabriel allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. “Don’t you apologise for their mistakes. You’re a good kid, Castiel; I just wish your family could see that. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.”

Cas smiled shyly and Gabriel grinned before tilting his head curiously.

“Speaking of friends; how are you and that Dean kid? You ever get anywhere with him?”

Cas beamed and Gabriel chuckled because the alpha was such a genuine person and his smile could light up a room. It was such a sincere expression.

“I followed your advice and he said he wanted to be friends. He even trusted me to help him during his Shift when he was suffering so greatly and we spent ample amounts of time together. He’s such a fascinating person and he told me incredible stories about his pranks on his brother and all the schools he’s moved to and the strange people he met. He wished to know more about me too; the things I’ve seen and done and the places I’ve been to… I’ve never had a friend like that. I’ve never had anyone who was truly interested in me and Dean is so kind and funny and understanding, and he’s loyal to his friends and brother. He even bought me a coat to thank me for helping him.” Cas shook his head fondly.

“He has this expression when he’s truly enjoying himself and it makes you feel warm. He doesn’t show it often, but when he does… it’s beautiful. I’ve lost count of the amount of times we were lying in bed together during his Shift, when he was half-asleep with his head on my chest and he was wearing that tiny, contented smile whilst he gave off these soft, little purrs… he’s just… being around him makes me happy.

“And his eyes… they’re so bright and full of life and when he’s planning to make some mischief, they seem to sparkle like emeralds. He’s just an amazing person. He’s got everything; intelligence, a handsome face, a strong body… it’s a shame he doesn’t believe it when anyone tells him. I’m honoured to be his friend,” finished Castiel with a tender gaze, seemingly unaware of his wistful tone.

Gabriel was silent for a few moments.

“…Seems to me like you’re harbouring quite the crush on him,” he murmured quietly before contemplating the alpha’s words. “In fact, sounds like he’s got a thing for you too.”

Castiel blinked in honest surprise before shaking his head.

“We’re just friends. Besides, he’s with Crowley.” 

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “You sure there’s no feelings between you two? Because the way I see it, you lay in bed with him and he wanted to be close to you so he put his head on your chest. And didn’t you say he purred? Kid, omegas don’t purr for just anyone. He must be really happy around you, just like you are around him.” The omega quirked a knowing grin. “And come on! The guy even bought you a gift! I think you two like each other more than you’re willing to admit.”

Cas’ brow creased. “I was only in Dean’s bed because he desired distraction from the pain. I just wanted him to be comfortable. He said my scent and me holding him was soothing. I would never encourage him to cheat on Crowley.”

Gabriel nodded but his smirk lingered. Maybe there was hope for a happy ending for this young, strong-willed alpha. Gabriel certainly wished him good luck.

Now if only he could have his own happy ending.

Cas looked a little uncertain now; as if he was thinking back to his time with Dean and dissecting it, so Gabriel squeezed his shoulder gently.

“In any case; thank you. For sticking up for me at dinner. I appreciate it.” 

Cas’ lips quirked slightly before he looked at the omega oddly.

“Don’t give up on Lucifer,” he murmured and Gabriel raised his eyebrows.

“If I can change, so can he,” continued Castiel quietly. “He just needs someone to show him how.”

Gabriel frowned. “Your brother’s nothing like you. He’s stubborn and aggressive and unfeeling; he’ll never change.”

“He played one of his pieces for you,” said Castiel gently. “He never lets anyone hear the music he composes. They’re special to him; you’re the first person to ever hear a full performance.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened in bewilderment and Castiel’s gaze softened.

“You must really mean something to him, Gabriel.”

Gabriel’s jaw worked open and closed a few times before he finally settled on a huff with far less heat than he had intended.

“Well he has a funny way of showing it,” he grumbled as he crossed his arms and Castiel smiled sadly.

“Please don’t give up on him,” he whispered. “If anyone can help him, it’s you.”

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. What was he supposed to say to that? Why did Castiel have so much confidence in him anyway? He was just another omega on Lucifer’s long list of failed relationships. What could he do?

“Right,” he said awkwardly before glancing to the door. He’d been gone a while and although he didn’t like the family (barring Castiel) he was still a guest in their home. He should probably show them he wasn’t snooping around their house and stealing things like they probably believed him to be doing. 

“I should probably get going,” stated Gabriel. “I think I’ve caused enough trouble and your family probably want me gone.”

Cas quirked his lips. “You have caused quite the stir. It was most refreshing.”

Gabriel grinned. “See you around, kid. Hopefully you’ll have a _‘handsome-faced, strong-bodied and intelligent’_ omega hanging onto your arm when we next meet,” he teased and Cas’ face flushed pink as he averted his gaze, making the omega snicker.

No feelings indeed.

“Later, Cassie.” With that Gabriel sauntered out of the room, heart a little lighter as he closed the door behind him.

Only to bump straight into Lucifer.

The alpha scowled at him and Gabriel crossed his arms, waiting for his scolding.

“You certainly have a flair for the dramatic,” Lucifer commented drily and Gabriel narrowed his gaze.

“And you certainly have a talent for stabbing people in the back.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened as if he had no idea what the omega was talking about and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“You know, people in a relationship usually defend each other. I did my part; I stood up for you when your parents practically called you weak and un-alpha-like. Yet when your brother blatantly insulted me, you agreed with him. So don’t pretend you didn’t betray me.”

A flash of guilt crossed Lucifer’s face but it quickly vanished to be replaced by his default setting of mild irritation.

“They’re my family. They raised me. What do you want me to do; choose you over them? Someone I barely know and who seems to take pleasure in yelling and fighting me?”

Gabriel threw his hands up. “That’s exactly what I expect you to do! You want me to be your mate, don’t you? Then you have to at least act like you want to be mine! People in a relationship are supposed to love each other; they’re supposed to care for each other and defend each other against the rest of the world. They’re supposed to support one another and stand by their partner’s choices even if they don’t always agree. That’s what love is; accepting one another’s flaws and seeing past them into the person behind them.” Gabriel frowned, still slightly upset even if he refused to admit it. “You’re not supposed to take the side of the people who hurt them.”

Lucifer seemed momentarily taken off-guard by the omega’s honesty and a flicker of shame crossed his face before it was gone again.

“Well, maybe if you at least tried to get along with my family, nobody would have to defend anybody and you wouldn’t feel so… hurt.”

Gabriel frowned disappointedly. Lucifer would never understand what he was trying to teach the alpha; he would always find an excuse as to why Gabriel was in the wrong.

“I can’t force myself to get along with a group of people who think it’s okay to belittle and degrade a whole sex based purely on what’s between their legs,” huffed Gabriel. “If you can’t see how wrong that is, then I don’t see the point in wasting my time on a lost cause. 

“You need to open your eyes, Lucifer. You need to take a good look at yourself and the world around you and you need to realise that things aren’t the way they used to be. You need to understand that you and your family’s views don’t fit into this life anymore; there’s a difference between ‘traditional’ and ‘outdated’, and I can tell you right now which one you and your family are.”

Lucifer frowned. “And you’re so perfect? All you’ve done so far is point out the flaws in my family’s way of life; what makes you such an outstanding citizen? Why is your way better than ours?”

Gabriel sighed. “I never said I was perfect. I don’t claim to be an ‘outstanding citizen’. But I do know that treating people equally is the best way to make friends. I know that defending someone you care about makes for a stronger relationship. I know that accepting people for who they are, regardless of what bad decisions they may have made in the past, is a good way of boosting their confidence and making them feel like they’re worth something; like they’re wanted and loved.” 

The omega’s voice softened. “I understand that sometimes, knowing someone cares can make a big difference to a person’s life.”

He fell quiet, lost in memories of a time where he’d been very lost and alone and then two kind alphas; one with a quirky Southern English accent and the other stoic yet loyal, had offered him friendship and suddenly, his world had seemed a little brighter.

Gadreel and Mick were practically family; Gabriel owed a lot to them. Maybe even his life.

When Gabriel gradually came back to reality, he realised Lucifer was silent, studying him curiously. When he noticed the omega staring, he straightened slightly.

It was a few moments before the alpha seemed to collect his thoughts.

“You like making people happy,” he stated quietly and Gabriel lifted an eyebrow at the strange observation. 

“It’s better than making them unhappy,” he replied slowly and Lucifer paused before nodding.

“It’s a good quality to have,” Lucifer commented and this time, Gabriel’s second eyebrow joined the first.

A tense silence settled between them for a minute before Lucifer’s gaze slowly lowered.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have let them insult you like that.”

Gabriel blinked, stunned. Since when did Lucifer Novak apologise to anyone?

“You’re right; it’s my job to protect you. I should have defended you,” the alpha continued. “I’m supposed to be your alpha and I let them hurt you.”

Gabriel tilted his head with a small frown. “…You know… the things your parents say… about you not being a proper alpha for not following the traditional way… you realise none of that’s true, right? In fact, I’d respect you a lot more if you didn’t follow tradition. It’s not your job to ‘protect’ me and it’s not your job to provide me with money and a big house. Remember what I said about relationships being a two-way street? Well, I won’t think any less of you for not living up to all of your parents’ ridiculously stupid expectations.”

“…Michael did it,” whispered Lucifer without meeting Gabriel’s gaze. “He followed tradition and exceeded Mother and Father’s expectations. He has a beautiful mate and a big house and he’s on track for taking over Father’s business even if no one’ll admit he's the one who's going to get it. He did everything they wanted and more besides and everyone’s so proud of him. He’s the perfect alpha yet for some reason, I can’t even achieve half of what he has.”

Gabriel scowled. Why on Earth was Lucifer comparing himself to that repulsive idiot of a brother of his? Lucifer needed to raise his standards; Michael was hardly a good role model for… well, anybody.

“Stop comparing yourself to Michael,” snorted Gabriel. “I guarantee you he’s nothing special. In fact, the only thing he should be proud of is his unique ability to thoroughly humiliate the people around him in under ten seconds. Trust me, you can achieve a lot more than he can.”

The omega’s gaze focused on a surprised Lucifer. “You can be so much better than him. You can be a decent human being for a start. You need to stop worrying about what your parents and brothers think of you and start thinking about who you want to be. Anyone can get a house and a mate, but that doesn’t say anything about the relationship he shares with her. It doesn’t even tell me if his mate likes him. Do you want to be an arrogant, prejudiced, demeaning jerk like your brother, with a cold, lifeless house and a mate who might not even like him, or do you want to be something more? Someone you can be proud of; someone who isn’t shallow and cruel, and who has a warm, loving home and a mate who enjoys being with him?

“You don’t have to act like your brother to be a good alpha. If you ask me, he shouldn’t be your role model. If you really want to be a good alpha, just… do what you think is right. Ignore everything you’ve been taught as a child and go with your gut instincts. Learn to look at the world a little differently and you’ll be a far better alpha than anything your parents or brothers could imagine.”

Lucifer stared at Gabriel emotionlessly for a few moments and the omega shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he’d pushed too far. Maybe he was asking the alpha for too much; asking him to change in ways he wasn’t capable of nor willing to. Maybe he was happy trying to live up to his family’s idea of a _perfect alpha_.

“Alright, fine,” murmured Lucifer eventually and Gabriel’s head snapped up in shock as the alpha glanced towards the stairs. Lucifer straightened.

“Would you consider accompanying me back to the dining room?” The alpha asked before Gabriel got a chance to question his answer. “I understand why you may wish to leave, but I’ve noticed you seem to be fond of sweet foods and I thought you might enjoy a helping of sticky toffee pudding after this disaster of an evening.”

Gabriel snapped his jaw shut. He hadn’t realised Lucifer had noticed his affinity for sweet treats. He hadn’t thought the alpha cared enough to be that observant.

Obviously, he was wrong.

And it hadn’t slipped his notice that the alpha was being polite in _asking_ him to dinner rather than demanding his presence. 

…Maybe Castiel had been right. Maybe he shouldn’t give up on Lucifer quite yet.

“…I suppose I could join you,” Gabriel said cautiously and the alpha nodded and moved towards the stairs, pausing at the top step when he realised the omega wasn’t following him.

“I really am sorry,” he murmured softly, blue eyes uncharacteristically sincere. 

That strengthened Gabriel’s resolve and he made his way over to the alpha, linking their arms with a bright grin.

“We’ve got to at least do it properly,” he winked and Lucifer’s small, surprised yet amused smile let Gabriel know he’d made the right decision. Gabriel really liked Lucifer's secret smiles.

“Come on,” he hummed and they walked downstairs together, only separating when they reached their seats in the dining room. They both ignored the rest of the family's disapproving looks and Gabriel felt his lips twitch upwards when Lucifer made a point of chatting softly to him as if he hadn't noticed his family's glares towards the omega.

Gabriel made an effort to not start any more arguments throughout the remainder of the meal.

...Nobody noticed a panicked Castiel bolting through the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this chapter wasn't even meant to be here. It was just supposed to be a short section (maybe a few hundred words?) added as an introduction to the next chapter. Obviously, that didn't happen because I seem to have got myself into this strange pairing (and how does that happen?)
> 
> Anyway, hope you liked this weird interlude.
> 
> ALSO! Someone finally guessed what Crowley does but I'm not telling you who! ;)


	22. The big reveal

The warehouse was dimly lit and the lights that functioned flickered in and out of consciousness every few seconds, one eventually losing the will to live as it faded out for the last time. The walls were caked in damp and mould and most of the windows had been shattered, letting in a cool draught that had goosebumps appearing on Dean’s skin. There was a strange smell as well; something rotting and Dean preferred not to ask what it was and where it was coming from, but he considered doing so just to break the eerie silence that haunted the place.

The warehouse was freshly abandoned. Around six months ago the owner had mysteriously vanished without a word, and with no one to run the company and pay anyone’s wages, one by one the employees had left and the warehouse had fallen into ruin. It was now a playground to the local gangs and graffiti artists and the occasional homeless person who needed shelter for a night before they were scared off by the violent gangs.

The owner’s body had shown up three months after he’d vanished, but nobody was aware of that because he’d been burned alive, chopped into pieces so he could fit into a shopping bag, and then dumped in a stray shopping trolley that had found a home in a river a few miles from the warehouse.

The killers were still on the loose, but nobody knew that either.

An emaciated rat scurried across the floor in front of Dean and the omega paused to wonder where the other half of its tail was before he was striding across the floor to catch up to Crowley again.

The alpha had been quiet since entering the building, a troubled expression gracing his features as he led Dean through the winding corridors of the warehouse. He still hadn’t revealed what was expected of Dean.

Eventually, the corridor opened up into a large, damp room. It was empty save for four unstable chairs; three of them in a line facing the other one. The lighting was no better in this room either and Dean had to squint to see the far wall. Not that there was much to look at; a few cracks in the plasterboard and a shattered window wasn’t exactly an inspiring view.

Crowley gestured to the single chair facing the others and Dean cautiously made his way to it. On the way, he stepped in something sticky and he looked down to find he was standing in a puddle of something dark; brown or black maybe? It was difficult to tell in the poor light. It looked like it had been there a little while.

Crowley noticed his expression and glanced at the dried liquid, frowning slightly. 

“I’ll clean that up later,” he commented as he took the middle seat of the three Dean would be facing.

Dean thought that was a very strange thing to say because why would Crowley care what was staining the floors in some grotty old warehouse? It’s not like either of them would ever be coming to this place again.

Dean took his seat and for a couple of seconds he mused how similar the situation was to some of the _James Bond_ films he’d watched. Here he was, the spy, getting his mission details from the suit-laden, all-business, not-half-bad-looking boss in a covert building in the early evening, when the sun was beginning to disappear beyond the horizon.

The omega cleared his thoughts and was just about to ask what he was supposed to do when he realised there were two other scents in the room.

Alphas.

Dean stiffened. Their scents were setting off alarm bells in his mind, every fibre of his being screaming _wrongwrongwrong_ the longer he stayed in the room. They smelled smoky, but not in a good way like Cas. More like burning and blood and their scents were too sharp, too bitter to be anything but bad.

Dean wrinkled his nose and glanced to Crowley. They needed to leave; they weren’t alone in here and with scents like that, the omega didn’t want to find out who was accompanying them.

He didn’t get a chance to say anything though because the second he looked at the alpha, two muscular men in their late thirties sauntered out of the shadows, sadistic smirks on their faces and small blades in their grasps. 

They too were wearing suits.

Dean tensed, narrowing his eyes as he stood and he let out a low growl, warning the large alphas to keep away.

They snorted at him and continued their advances.

Dean glanced to Crowley and froze. The alpha was remarkably calm.

The two strange men took the seats either side of Crowley as their predatory gazes roamed over Dean and the omega shuddered.

“Sit down, Dean,” murmured Crowley without meeting his gaze.

Wary but knowing he could trust his boyfriend, Dean slowly sat again, refusing to take his eyes off the larger alphas.

“Dean, huh?” Chuckled the dark-skinned alpha on the left, voice impossibly deep and making Dean feel ten kinds of dirty. “So, this is the pretty little omega we’ve heard so much about?”

Crowley’s mouth drew into a thin line and he looked at his feet.

Dean stiffened. He didn’t like where this was going.

“I can see why you like him,” leered the blond alpha on the right as his gaze raked appreciatively over Dean’s body. “Looks like he’d be a good lay. All big and strong. Bet he can easily overpower you, eh Macleod?” He laughed as he slapped Crowley’s back a little too forcefully.

“You wouldn’t be open to the idea of sharing, would you?” Hummed the alpha on the left and Dean’s veins turned to ice. What exactly was he supposed to be doing here?

Crowley sent them both sharp glares.

“Keep talking and I’ll cut your tongues out.”

The two alphas sobered immediately and Dean cocked an eyebrow at their obedience. Crowley turned his gaze upon Dean.

“This is Ligur and Hastur,” he gestured to the dark-skinned man and the blond respectively. “They’re my… associates. I’m afraid you’ll have to ignore their lack of manners.”

Dean glanced between the pair warily but their faces were suddenly masks of stone; expressionless and cold.

“Why am I here, Crowley?” Dean asked, wanting to cut the introductions. The sour scents were making him edgy and the longer he stayed with these strange men, the more nervous he was growing. He began to wonder what he’d got himself into.

Ligur cocked an eyebrow. “He doesn’t know what’s expected of him?”

Hastur’s gaze snapped to Crowley disapprovingly. “Don't tell me he doesn't know what he's supposed to do?" At Crowley's silence, the blond scowled. "You haven’t told him because you were scared he’d say no,” he accused and Crowley’s expression took on one of irritation.

“I wouldn’t have involved him at all if you hadn’t messed up.”

Hastur’s jaw clamped shut but Ligur shook his head.

“We can’t trust him. What if he says no?”

Dean scowled. He hated it when people spoke of him as if he wasn’t in the room.

“And what if he says yes?” He snapped. “I may not trust you two clowns, but I trust Crowley. If he needs me to do something, then I’m going to support him, no matter what it is.”

Crowley averted his gaze and Ligur snorted.

“Big mistake, kid.”

Dean’s fiery expression faded into one of confusion. What was this idiot talking about? Of course he trusted Crowley; the alpha had been loyal and kind to him. They had a good relationship and Crowley was attentive. These other alphas didn’t know anything about the faith Dean and Crowley shared in one another.

…So why wouldn’t Crowley look at him?

“He’s gonna bail,” huffed Hastur. “You can see it in his eyes. The moment we tell him what’s going on he’s gonna bolt. And something tells me you couldn’t handle what comes after that.” The blond glanced at Crowley pointedly.

The younger alpha narrowed his eyes at the older, but it was Ligur who crossed his arms.

“Let him leave. He’s of no use to us. Kid would never go through with the task anyway.”

Dean didn’t like people underestimating him. He had always enjoyed a challenge.

“This ‘kid’ can hear perfectly and maybe he doesn’t want to leave,” huffed Dean before his eyes sparked with determination. “I think you’re just worried I’ll be able to do whatever you two messed up.” Dean crossed his arms. "And stop talking about me as if I'm not here."

Hastur bristled and Ligur narrowed his eyes, making Dean smirk.

“We’ll see,” murmured Hastur. “Last chance to back out.”

Dean scoffed and made a point of settling into his creaky chair.

“Lay it on me.”

The two large alphas shifted their impatient gazes to Crowley, who hesitated for a moment as he looked at Dean worriedly.

“I can handle it,” reassured Dean, gaze a little softer. “Promise. Tell me what I have to do.”

“Spit it out, Macleod,” growled Ligur. “I want to see this kid put his money where his mouth is.”

Crowley eventually sighed and produced a small photograph of a greying man with a scruffy beard, which he handed to Dean.

“…Metatron Armstrong, alias: Carver Edlund, is the alpha you’re going to meet. He’s a successful author and hobbyist videographer, but he’s also a creep. He likes a drink and on a Saturday night he frequents the local night clubs to watch the teens dance and occasionally he likes to flirt with them. His films are… distasteful to say the least and he never lets anyone see them because they’re part of his own ‘personal collection’, which he keeps under lock and key in his basement. They feature stuff like people dying in alleys after being attacked by gangs, dogs fighting, omegas being cornered by groups of alphas… y’know, the kind of stuff that makes you question a person’s moral capability.

“The thing is, someone found one of his discs just lying around his house. A neighbour of his. They decided to take a peak and were so disgusted by what they saw, they copied the disc and threatened to expose him. Metatron was… concerned for his reputation and he felt he needed to do something to stop his name from sliding into the mud. 

“He called us for help and although we didn’t want to help a scumbag like him, he offered us a lot of money so we decided we could aid in _smoothing over_ his disc problem.”

Crowley shifted uncomfortably. “It’s all just politics really. We don’t particularly sell anything but we offer help to those who need it. As long as they’re willing to pay, we can sort things out for them. However, after we dug him out of his predicament, he refused to hand over the money. Said he didn’t have it, which is a lie because we know how much he makes from selling his books. 

“We tried to contact him, but he changed all his numbers and addresses and we can’t even find where he lives. We found out about his Saturday night fun and tried to grab him, but he’s crafty and managed to escape. At least, that’s what Hastur and Ligur tell me.” He shot the pair a couple of pointed glares and the alphas glanced away.

“We realised we needed someone else to talk to him for us. Someone he didn’t recognise, who could make him pay the money. That’s why we need you. We need you to make him comfortable, get him to trust you enough so you can bring him to us and we can sort things out with him.”

Crowley wasn’t quite looking Dean in the eye and the omega had to wonder what that meant.

“…Okay… How would I do that?” Dean asked uncertainly. Something wasn’t adding up here; the details were too vague. Crowley was leaving something out.

“Flirt with him a bit,” smirked Hastur. “Pretend you’re interested in him. Tell him you’re looking for a bit of fun with someone who’s experienced. He looks about as attractive as a sack of rotten potatoes but he doesn’t need to know that. Tell him you love his books; page a hundred-and-seventy-three in ‘Changing Channels’ was such a plot twist. Who would’ve thought the _Trickster_ was actually the _Archangel Gabriel_ in disguise? It had you on the edge of your seat, desperate for more.”

Ligur chuckled and Crowley was wearing that tiny, concerned frown again.

Dean’s mouth drew into a thin line. “You want me to flirt with a guy who fetishizes alphas ganging up on young omegas?”

Hastur winked. “You got it, kid.”

“When you’ve got him interested, tell him you know a place you can have a bit of fun and bring him here,” hummed Ligur. “It’s as easy as that.”

There was something the trio weren’t telling Dean and the omega knew because Crowley still wasn’t looking at him. 

“It’s that simple, huh?” He asked sceptically and the older alphas grinned with too many teeth. 

“Yup.”

“Simple.”

“Unless of course, you don’t think you’re up to it,” commented Hastur airily. “We totally understand. After all, you’re just an omega. This sort of thing may be a little too stressful for your weak little brain and body to handle.” 

Dean growled and his mind was immediately made up.

“I’ll do it,” he bit out. “And I guarantee I won’t let him slip away like you morons did.”

The alphas narrowed their eyes. 

“We’ll see, kid. I’m convinced you’re going to fail, but Crowley here seems to think otherwise so I’ll just sit in the wings and laugh when you mess up,” huffed Hastur. 

“Just be ready when I bring him to you,” snapped Dean as he stood. “Now is there anything else or can I get this show on the road?”

“That’s everything,” drawled Ligur and Dean offered them both a tight smile before stalking out of the room, Crowley trailing silently behind him.

Before he left the building entirely, Crowley grabbed his shoulder. 

“When you bring Metatron back, turn around and go home. Don’t linger. Don’t wait for me. Just drop the guy off and leave. Got it?” He whispered and Dean raised an eyebrow. Crowley looked nervous.

“Why? You’re just gonna chat to him, aren’t you? Get him to pay up?” Dean was entirely convinced by his own words. The whole exchange back in the warehouse had been strange; the details sketchy and the tone off.

Crowley shook his head. “Just make sure you get out of here the second you can. Don’t look back, just go.”

Dean’s body was growing cold. Something was very wrong here.

“What’s going on, Crowley?” He whispered, dread seeping into his tone, but Crowley merely pushed him outside.

“Don’t ask questions. Get the guy and go home.”

Dean must have looked as though he was contemplating abandoning the task altogether because Crowley suddenly gripped his arm a little too tightly as he leaned beside his ear.

“You’re being watched. Don’t bolt. Just do what was asked of you and everything will be okay.” Crowley licked his lips and alarm bells rang in Dean’s head. The alpha was scared. “You should have stayed home,” he whispered regretfully. “I’m so sorry, Dean.”

Hastur and Ligur appeared in the doorway to the warehouse and Crowley pulled away from Dean.

“Go,” he murmured as he turned away. 

Dean watched him pace over to the other alphas and when they glanced between the teens suspiciously, Dean squared his shoulders defiantly and turned on his heel, intent on following orders after Crowley’s hushed warning.

The three alphas watched him disappear.

“That kid is too easy to rile up,” chuckled Hastur. “Fire a few insults at him and he’s chomping at the bit and raring to go. You did well in choosing him, Macleod. Really easily manipulated omega.”

Crowley stared at the corner Dean had disappeared around in silence.

“Still don’t trust him,” huffed Ligur. “Seems like the type of person who doesn’t cope well with this sort of stuff. A bit too ‘nice’. We should keep a close eye on him.”

Crowley growled at the taller man. “He’ll do fine. He’ll get the target and then we’re going to let him go home.”

Ligur raised an eyebrow. “Good story by the way. That explanation you gave earlier about us helping Metatron out of a ‘tight spot’ and wanting to sort things out with the payment, that was very well handled. It was a pack of lies, but it was well-acted.”

Crowley whirled on Ligur and the older man was caught off guard by the younger’s strength as he was pinned against the wall, a switchblade pressed against his throat.

“I was being serious about the tongue thing. You dare tell Dean anything and you’ll never speak again. He’s going to do this job and we’re never going to involve him in anything again. Got it?”

Crowley cried out in pain when a knee connected with his crotch and he staggered backwards.

Ligur snarled at the younger alpha as he grabbed him by the throat. 

“You’re good, Macleod, but you’re not that good. If you didn’t want the omega involved, you should never have brought him here in the first place. Whatever happens to him is on your hands.”

And with that parting remark, the older men disappeared around the same corner Dean had vanished around.

 

* * *

 

Dean knew he was being followed. He could smell the guy’s sour scent a mile off. 

That’s why he was relieved when he finally slipped into the lively nightclub and scanned the booths and bar for the man Crowley had given him a picture of. He eventually spotted the alpha sitting alone in the far corner of the room, a book in his hands to hide the fact he was actually watching the teens dance and flirt in the centre of the room. Dean shivered.

_Creep._

He wandered over to the bar and ordered a beer before prowling over to the pervert with a flirtatious smirk. He took the seat opposite the older alpha and arched a suggestive eyebrow when the other man eyed him curiously. Time to turn on the omega charm.

He stroked his thumb up and down the neck of the bottle, internally rolling his eyes when the alpha immediately took the bait and stared at his hand. Alphas were so easy to play.

“You’re Carver Edlund,” Dean practically purred in the most sultry tone he could muster without throwing up. “I’ve read all of your books. You’re so clever. Witty. I love an alpha who has such ineffable talent.” Alphas loved a good ego boost.

An interested smirk twitched at Metatron’s lips. He swayed a little and put his book (which Dean suddenly realised was upside down) on the table as he turned to fully face Dean, expression a fraction glazed.

Metatron was drunk.

“Oh yeah? Which is your favourite?” He giggled. 

“Changing Channels,” Dean hummed, leaning a little further forward in a way he knew would make the alpha think he was interested. “That plot twist with the Trickster being the Archangel Gabriel had me on the edge of my seat. I was _desperate_ for more.” His thumb swirled over the head of the bottle.

Metatron was entranced and Dean nearly curled his lip up in disgust when the alpha non-too-subtly readjusted himself. The older man leaned forwards in a way he probably thought was enticing but was actually quite clumsy.

“I’ve always wanted to meet you,” murmured Dean. “Always wondered what you were like in person and now I have… I’m honoured. To be in the presence of such talent and… greatness… it’s overwhelming.” This was so humiliating.

The alpha’s eyes flashed in interest and he blatantly eyed Dean’s body. It made the omega’s skin crawl.

“Yeah?” The writer asked eagerly. “Well I love to learn more about my adoring fans.” _Egotistical._ “You want another drink? I’d like to get to know you a bit more.”

Dean smirked coyly. “I’d love to get to know you. _All_ of you.” He pointedly let his gaze trail down the alpha’s chest and Metatron grinned in excitement.

“I think we’re going to get along very well indeed,” purred Metatron.

He didn’t even know Dean’s name.

 

* * *

 

An hour and a half later, Dean had Metatron wrapped around his little finger. All it took was a few compliments, a bit of suggestive flirting, and some well-timed fingering of a beer bottle and the alpha was on the edge of his seat, gaze brimming with arousal and scent throwing off waves of lust.

Alphas could be so stupid.

“How about you and I get out of here and you can tell me a little more about your new series of masterpieces?” Whispered Dean. “We could go somewhere a bit more… intimate?”

Metatron giggled again and Dean nearly grimaced. It was such a grating sound.

“Does your mother know you’re such a naughty omega?” He murmured, breath reeking of alcohol and Dean managed to cover his wince. He did not want to think of his angelic mother when he was with this repulsive man.

He merely smirked and gestured towards the door.

As they were walking away from the nightclub, Dean had to restrain himself from punching the alpha in the face as a grubby hand squeezed his rump.

He wished the warehouse wasn’t a twenty-minute walk away.

“I’m not sure I can wait to _‘get to know you’_ ,” muttered Metatron close to his ear. “How about we just stay here in one of these alleys? It’s quiet and… _intimate._ ”

Dean had to stamp down on a growl. This alpha was utterly disgusting.

“I know a better place. Nobody goes there, we can stay there as long as we want and nobody’ll be able to hear us,” purred Dean, swallowing his bile. The thought of being alone with this alpha was enough to knock him sick.

Metatron grinned slyly and Dean was uncomfortable at the sight, but he forced his nervousness down as he made to grab the alpha’s hand. As he leaned forwards, Metatron dragged him closer and crushed their lips together sloppily.

Dean wanted to vomit when a tongue invaded his mouth and he gagged at the stench of alcohol.

A hand palmed his rear and Dean felt violated when the hand slipped between his legs and squeezed.

Dean gasped when they pulled apart, needing to take in fresh air to calm himself and he flinched when the alpha licked his throat and nipped at it.

“You’re insatiable,” Metatron growled and Dean wanted nothing more than to have a shower and be surrounded by Castiel’s arms and that wonderful scent.

_…Wait, what?_

“It’s not far,” breathed Dean, confused at his strange thoughts. “Just a little longer, I promise. Then I’m all yours.”

The alpha nodded after a moment and let him go, but his hand slipped into Dean’s back pocket and Dean wanted to recoil from his touch. He persuaded himself to continue with the task. Once he got back to Crowley, this would all be over.

About fifteen minutes into their walk, when Dean’s pulse was beginning to return to normal again because the warehouse wasn’t too far away now, Metatron’s smirk faded.

It was clear the alcohol had kicked in fully now because the alpha was leaning quite heavily on Dean. He was also starting to babble.

“They’re gonna get me,” he whimpered. “I know they’re following me. They’re always following me. They never stop following me.”

Dean arched an eyebrow but decided to humour the intoxicated alpha.

“Who’s going to get you?”

“The shadows,” mumbled Metatron, words slurring. “They’re everywhere. Always in the shadows. Always lurking. Always hiding. Always waiting. They’re here. I _know_ they’re here.”

He suddenly looked at Dean, eyes wide and hopeful.

“But you’re a nice omega. You’re young and pretty. They won’t get you because you’re a good omega.”

Dean merely smiled, not comprehending any of the alpha’s odd words and not caring about them either. He just wanted to get to the warehouse.

Metatron had other plans. He clamped down on Dean’s wrist so hard it hurt and the omega growled warningly but Metatron was already reaching for his face, clasping it between his palms desperately.

“They’re here,” he said, begging Dean to understand. “I can smell them. _Taste_ them. But they won’t get you. They won’t hurt you. That means they won’t hurt me. You’re a good omega because you’ll protect me.”

Dean blinked. What the…?

“The shadows!” Hissed Metatron. “They’re going to kill me.”

Suddenly he let his arms flop down to his sides. “I’m not a nice man, Dean. I’ve done terrible things. Awful, evil things.”

Dean tilted his head curiously. This was taking an unexpected turn. “What do you mean?”

“I… I’ve killed someone,” the alpha whispered and Dean couldn’t help but take a small step backwards. Is this what Crowley wouldn’t tell him? Was he in a lot of danger by being with this warped alpha? 

“Well… more like… I hired someone to do it for me…”

Dean froze. His skin itched. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the rest of this story and he contemplated pressing a hand to the alpha’s mouth a dumping him at Crowley’s feet. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him, right?

Yet… he was curious. He had a strange feeling knowing Metatron’s story was important, almost as if it affected his life in some way. So he let Metatron explain.

“My neighbour never did anything wrong. She was a good beta. A good mother. But she was nosey and she found my DVDs. I told her not to go snooping around… I just wanted to grab the book I’d borrowed from her. It was upstairs on my bed, but she’d interrupted me when I was watching one of my home videos. I warned her… I said don’t touch anything! But she didn’t listen… And I couldn’t… I couldn’t let her tell anyone…

“I didn’t want her to die, but she had to! I had to hire someone. But then I felt guilty and I thought… if I didn’t pay… then technically I wasn’t to blame, right? I didn’t give them any money so I didn’t buy their service. They killed her all on their own. I… I’m not a murderer. I write about murderers, but I’m not a murderer…”

Dean’s heart had stopped. 

No, that sounded too like… _no._ Crowley _couldn’t_ be… It had to be someone else. Dean was just going to deliver the alpha to his boyfriend and the money problem would be sorted out. It was obviously payment for something else. Crowley wasn’t… he wasn’t involved with Metatron’s story. He couldn’t be.

“They’ve been tracking me for weeks,” whimpered Metatron. “Weeks and weeks. They’re gonna kill me. They’ve tried once. I escaped though. Two big alphas came to take me but I got away. They’ll probably use the same gun on me as they did my poor neighbour.”

The alpha burst into messy tears and Dean began to sweat as his pulse rocketed upwards. Didn’t Hastur and Ligur say they had tried to grab Metatron once before?

“…What… what did the guy who killed your neighbour look like?” Dean asked, mouth suddenly dry. Crowley said he didn’t actually sell anything; just ‘help’ to those who needed it.

Metatron sniffled. “Suit. They’re always in suits. Black hair. Bit taller than me. British.” The alpha registered the omega’s pale face and wide eyes. “Did he do a job for you too?”

Dean shook his head frantically, voice unable to work. He began to tremble as his legs threatened to buckle under him.

Metatron gripped his shoulder, face pleading.

“You’re a good omega. A good kid. Kind. Not like them. You wouldn’t hurt me. You’d never hurt me, would you?”

Dean couldn’t speak as he gazed at the alpha’s haunted eyes in horror.

“You can make me feel good, right? You’re so young and beautiful. You can make all the bad things go away, can’t you?” Metatron begged and Dean took a step backwards, heart racing and mind terrified.

“I… I can’t… I’m sorry… I… I have to… I have to go…” Dean stuttered before whirling on his heel and sprinting away from the disheartened alpha.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot and the sound of a body slumping to the ground and Dean bit back a scream. 

He lost track of time as he ran blindly through this seedy part of town, but it couldn’t have been twenty minutes before a bullet soared over his head.

His body shook in fear when there was the sound of two sets of footsteps pounding after him and he pushed himself harder to escape his pursuers.

He ran as fast as he could, between the alleyways and wastelands, jumping fences and cursing when he stumbled. A bullet flew past his ear and he cried out as he ducked around a corner. His attackers didn’t stop and they thundered after him, never tiring. 

Dean felt tears streaming down his face in pure terror as he dodged another bullet and he didn’t know where he was or where he was running to but he took another few sharp turns, jumped a couple of fences and hid behind an overflowing dumpster, clamping a hand over his mouth when Hastur and Ligur sprinted past him, guns cocked.

When he was sure they had disappeared, he ripped his phone from his pocket and dialled a familiar number.

“Hello, Dean,” came a gravelly voice and Dean nearly sobbed in relief.

“Cas! I don’t know what to do,” he whimpered through tears. “I messed up. I messed up so bad and now I don’t know what to do. I’m probably gonna die and I don’t know what to do,” he rambled and immediately Castiel was trying to calm him.

“Dean? Dean? I need you to breathe and tell me where you are. Nothing else, just tell me where you are.”

Dean shook his head. “No! No, you can’t! You mustn’t! They’ll kill you too! I don’t want you to die; don’t die for me, Cas, please!”

“I’m not going to die, Dean. Nobody’s going to die. I need you to tell me where you are and then we can sort this out together, okay?” There was a pause. “Where’s Crowley? Aren’t you supposed to be with him tonight?”

Dean bit back a sob. “I don’t know anymore. He’s not… he… don’t call him! Don’t tell him where I am! He can’t know! I just…” he whined softly. “I… I’m so scared.”

“Where are you?” Cas asked firmly. “Tell me where you are, Dean. I’ll get there, I promise.”

Dean managed to calm himself enough to look around. 

“Hope street,” he murmured. “Between the run-down beer garden and the abandoned theatre.”

“I’ll be right there,” mumbled Cas.

“Be careful,” begged Dean. “Stay out of sight. If you see anyone, you turn back around and go home, okay? You don’t think twice, just go. Promise me.”

Dean could practically hear the frown in the alpha’s voice. “I’m not leaving you.”

“I’m not giving you a choice,” hissed Dean. 

“I will find you.” And with that the line went dead.

Dean stared at his phone for a few seconds before shoving it into his pocket and pressing his face into his hands. What had he done? Why had he agreed to any of this? What was he doing getting Cas involved?

Why had Crowley let him do this?

He wanted to see Sammy again. He wanted to see his friends one last time. He wanted Cas to hold him once more. A few more tears escaped onto the ground and he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes.

Why had Crowley done this to him? Why had he asked Dean to do this? The alpha was supposed to love him; care for him and protect him, so why had he put Dean in danger? Why had he introduced him to his two psychopath associates?

When had he become a hitman?

Dean didn’t have any answers so he pushed himself further against the wall and waited silently, praying Cas didn’t get into trouble.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, Dean heard footsteps nearing his alley. He held his breath; Hastur and Ligur had stalked past him three times during the last hour, each time getting closer to his position. He’d managed to cover his scent by hiding so close to the revolting dumpster, but he couldn’t stay there forever and he knew they’d find him whether he stayed or not. He needed a miracle.

“Dean?”

The omega startled and quickly darted out of his hiding spot to drag Castiel into the dark, dead-ended alley, yanking him to the ground as he slapped his hand over the alpha’s mouth.

“Keep quiet,” he whispered to the wide-eyed Castiel and the alpha nodded, relaxing slightly when he realised it wasn’t a gun-cocking criminal who had assaulted him.

“What happened?” Cas asked softly. “Where’s Crowley? Why are you here?”

Dean gulped down his bile. “Crowley’s a hitman,” he croaked and Cas’ eyes rounded. “That’s why he couldn’t tell me what he does or what he was doing when I was having my Shift. Heck, he was spying on his next victim when Uriel called him out last week.”

Dean blew out a shaky breath. “They needed help with the latest one. Said they needed someone to flirt with him because he kept escaping and he knew their faces. I didn’t realise they were going to kill him, they just said he hadn’t paid for something he’d bought and they needed to sort out the payment. I didn’t realise their service was shooting people.”

Cas’ jaw had fallen open and Dean let his head drop into his hands.

“I’ve been so stupid, Cas. I blindly followed Crowley into this mess. I thought I could trust him; I thought he cared for me. Now I’m on their hit list ‘cause I know too much.”

Castiel finally found his voice. “A hitman?” He hissed. “How many are there? How many are after you? Are you hurt? Did they shoot you?” The alpha glanced over Dean’s body worriedly and the omega felt that familiar sensation of safety cocoon his mind at the alpha's frantic questions. He shifted a little closer to Cas without realising.

“Two alphas. I don’t know where Crowley is. I don’t know whose side he’s on. I don’t even know if he’s still here.” 

Suddenly, Dean tilted his head. “Wait, how did you get here so fast? It’s at least a two hour bus journey.”

Cas looked a little sheepish. “Stole my father’s car.”

Dean blinked. “You can’t drive.”

“I’m learning,” protested Castiel and Dean stared at him for a few seconds before tugging him into a hug.

“Thank you, Cas,” he breathed before pulling away. "You shouldn't have come here though."

Cas frowned. "I'm not leaving you out here alone with three possible assassins."

"I shouldn't have called you."

"Well you did and I'm here now," huffed Cas. "And I'm glad you did."

Dean shook his head before glancing at the entrance to the alley. "We need to get out of here."

Cas nodded. "The car's a few blocks away. We may have to run if we don't want to be spotted."

Dean glanced back towards the empty entrance and gestured towards it. "Alright, lead the way." 

The pair stood silently and were just about to walk out of the alley when there was the sound of a pistol’s safety catch being knocked off and a figure rounded the corner, barrel aimed straight between Dean’s eyes.

At the end of the steady hand, stood Crowley.

“I told you not to ask questions,” he whispered, face devoid of emotion. He glanced at Cas and his expression faltered. “It didn’t have to be this way.”

Dean and Castiel’s eyes widened and Cas edged his way in front of the omega, placing himself in the line of fire.

“Don’t do this,” Cas pleaded as Dean stared at him in horror when he realised the alpha was willing to take the bullet for him.

“He knows too much!” Growled Crowley almost frantically. “I can’t let him go. And by him calling you, I can’t let you go either. I can’t let you talk to the police about what we do.”

“We won’t!” Hissed Dean. “Crowley, I promise, we won’t! Just let us go and we’ll never tell a soul, I swear.” He gazed into the alpha’s eyes. “Please,” he begged. “I trusted you. I put my faith in you. Do the same for me. For us. Please. We won’t tell anyone.”

Crowley’s face crumpled. “I can’t do that. You’re too much of a liability. You should’ve just delivered Metatron to us and then you could have gone home. Hastur and Ligur know something’s wrong now because you bolted.”

“Metatron’s dead anyway!” Yelled Dean in panic. “What does it matter whether I delivered him or not?”

“I know he’s dead, because I shot him!” Hissed Crowley. “I was watching you and I saw you run, so I killed him! I tried to stop Hastur and Ligur from finding out, but you ran straight past their positions not fifteen minutes later! They know you know something!” He glanced to Castiel. “And now you’ve told him!”

“Crowley, please. You don’t have to do this. I know you care for Dean, I can see it. You wouldn’t have tried to protect him against your friends if you didn’t. So please, if you really do have any glimmer of affection for Dean, you’ll let him go,” whispered Castiel. “It doesn’t have to end like this. Don’t let it end like this.”

Crowley’s hand trembled.

“If I let you go, Hastur and Ligur will hunt you down anyway. Don’t you get it? You’ll lose either away. You can’t… you can’t get out of this.”

“Don’t shoot Cas,” Dean gulped. “He has nothing to do with this. I’ve not really told him anything. He doesn’t know anything. Nobody else knows he’s here. Just let him go and you can do whatever you want with me.”

Cas scowled, shielding Dean’s body more fully with his own and Crowley’s expression cracked into one of regret and desperation.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, shaking his head. “I can’t let either of you go.”

“Why?” Whispered Dean brokenly. “Why did you let me come here? You knew the risks; why’d you let me come?”

Crowley closed his eyes in shame. “I… I needed help and you offered.”

He steadied his hand as he pointed the gun between Castiel’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered and Castiel sucked in a breath as Dean screamed out a _“NO!”_

“What if I can give you the money?!” Castiel blurted and Crowley froze.

“What?”

“What if I can give you the money Metatron owed? He’s dead so you can’t get anything out of him now, but I can give you the money to make it look like he gave it to you.”

Crowley tilted his head in confusion and Castiel held his hands up placatingly as he hurriedly explained.

“You said you shot Metatron and that your friends were in a different position to you, so they never saw you actually kill him. For all they know, Metatron could still be alive and Dean bolted because he was too scared to go through with the task. If I can give you the money, you can make it look as though Dean delivered Metatron to you first, you got the cash from him and then you killed him.”

Crowley mulled this over for a few seconds and Cas sighed in relief when the other alpha slowly lowered the gun.

“You’ll never be able to get that kind of money,” Crowley murmured and the other boys’ hearts sank.

“How much?” Frowned Cas and Crowley’s mouth drew into a thin line.

“Twenty-five grand.”

Cas winced and Dean paled.

“When do you need it for?” Cas asked, determined and Crowley arched an eyebrow.

“I can stall them for about five days. Usually we get the money straight away via bank transfer, but I can keep them from asking questions for five days, during which you’d have to pay the full amount to our account.”

Cas nodded. “I can do that.”

Crowley looked uncertain but Dean stiffened and he grabbed Cas’ arm.

“You can’t pay twenty-five thousand dollars,” he hissed and Cas scowled.

“Your life is worth more than that,” he bit out, causing Dean’s eyes to widen, before he turned back to Crowley.

“I can get you the money. Nobody has to die. I promise I’ll get the money and we’ll never tell a soul about what you do. Trust me.”

Crowley looked torn for a few moments and the other boys waited with bated breaths.

Finally, he nodded and moved aside.

“Go. I’ll distract Hastur and Ligur.”

The pair glanced at one another before moving around Crowley.

“Five days,” the alpha warned. “After that, no more chances.”

Castiel nodded, gulping softly before he slipped out of the alleyway.

“Goodbye, Dean,” whispered Crowley as the omega passed him and Dean paused, looking back at the alpha once before sprinting after Castiel.

Crowley sighed quietly, the sound eerily heartbroken and alone but with no one to hear it, it was lost in the silence of the dark alley.

Castiel and Dean sprinted through the streets and were ecstatic to find no hitmen with guns waiting for them when they finally reached the beige Lincoln Continental. 

Dean, used to taking his father’s Impala out for a spin in the evenings (even if John didn’t know about it), hopped into the driver’s seat and slammed the car into drive as they sped out of the most dangerous part of town.

“Cas- ” Dean began when they were at least twenty minutes clear of the nightmarish streets.

“No, Dean. I meant what I said. Your life is worth far more than a few thousand dollars.”

Dean snapped his mouth shut.

“It’s a lot of money,” he said quietly after a few minutes and Castiel nodded slowly.

“It is.”

“…How are you going to find that much?” 

“…I don’t know,” Cas admitted.

The ride back to Dean’s house was silent.

 

* * * 

 

They arrived at Dean’s house and shuffled upstairs, both plastering on smiles for Sam when he greeted them. No point in worrying the young alpha over what could have happened earlier.

John was out (which wasn’t all that surprising; he was probably at some bar looking for someone to get off with) and so Cas and Dean silently slid into Dean’s room and sat on the bed, each lost in their own thoughts.

“How are we going to get the money?” Dean asked softly. “There’s no way we can find that much in just five days.”

“I’ll get it, Dean,” murmured Cas. “It’s not like my family doesn’t have that much.”

Dean frowned. “Cas, you can’t just ask you parents for twenty-five-thousand dollars.”

Castiel pulled a face. “It looks like I’ll have to.”

“What are you going to tell them when they ask you why you need that much? They’re not just going to hand over the cash, no questions asked,” pointed out Dean and Castiel sighed.

“I’ll think of something. I have to.”

Dean’s gaze flicked to his lap again and a few moments of silence passed between them once more.

“I thought I was going to die out there,” Dean whispered. “But once again, you were there for me when I needed you. You’re always there when I need you.”

Cas quirked a half smile. “And you’re always there when I need someone to teach me wrong from right.”

Dean shook his head. “No, Cas, I mean it. You saved my life back there. I… I owe you so much.”

“You owe me nothing. That’s what friends do, right? That’s what you taught me; be there for those you care about,” frowned Cas.

“But you… you were going to take that bullet for me. When I said be there for your friends, I didn’t mean jump in front of a gun for them,” choked out Dean. “That’s not… you were so brave. You… you shouldn’t have done that.” Dean scowled to himself. “I never should’ve called you in the first place. I never should’ve put you in danger. That was so selfish of me; so stupid and reckless.”

Castiel gently placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“You were alone and scared. I’m glad you called me. I wouldn’t want you to go through any of that on your own. You shouldn’t have had to face any of that.”

Dean gazed at those kind blue eyes and the small smile he adored and he finally gave in to the stresses of the evening as he threw his arms around Castiel and buried his face in his neck, scenting deeply.

Immediately their souls jerked towards one another with a force that shocked them both and Cas wrapped his arms around Dean, tugging him close as he scented the omega as desperately as Dean was scenting him.

“I’m so sorry, Cas,” Dean whispered. “I never should’ve got you involved. Now you’re trying to bail me out of another mess I’ve made.” The omega tightened his grip. “I nearly got you killed,” he despaired.

“Stop thinking everything’s your fault,” growled Cas. “Your Shift was not your fault and neither was this. You were trying to help. You would never have agreed to it if Crowley had given you all the details in the first place.”

“I was stupid to trust him,” murmured Dean. “Everyone warned me about him. Everyone told me at first not to get involved with him, but I didn’t listen because I was immature and thought I knew better.”

“You liked him. Nothing wrong with that. To be honest, I’m pretty certain he liked you too. I just don’t think he could show it very well, what with being a hitman and all,” Cas sounded uncomfortable as he said the words and Dean’s lips twitched upwards in exasperated amusement.

“I courted a hitman,” he murmured slowly. “And I didn’t even know.”

Cas huffed out a laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. “And now we have to find twenty-five-thousand dollars in five days otherwise we’re going to be on his hit list.”

Dean released a shaky laugh. “We had a gun pointed at our heads less than two hours ago.”

“I didn’t know this sort of thing happened in real life. Isn’t it only supposed to happen in movies and terrible detective novels?” Asked Cas. “The ones where everyone lives happily ever after and the bad guys lose in the end?”

Dean grinned. “Someone should write stories about our lives. Enemies who slowly become friends and eventually one ends up nearly taking a bullet for the other. You can’t make this stuff up.”

Cas shook his head. “Don’t forget the part about your ex-boyfriend being a professional assassin.”

Dean paused. _Ex_ -boyfriend. The thought hadn’t hit him until now that he could never have a relationship with Crowley again. It was actually rather upsetting. Then he realised the alpha had been very willing to shoot him and Cas in the heads had Castiel not come up with his brilliant idea that neither of them knew how to pull off.

They would probably die in five days. 

Dean decided he wouldn’t be shedding too many tears over losing Crowley.

“Do you think anyone will notice you’ve stolen the car?” Asked Dean idly, mind running all over the place after the night’s events. 

Cas shrugged. “Probably not until they come to use it on Monday morning.”

“…Do you think they’ll mind you staying over?” Asked Dean quietly and Cas’ gaze softened.

“I don’t care if they do.”

Dean smiled and relaxed into Cas’ embrace. He felt so safe and wanted in the alpha’s arms. Cas was his best friend and Dean was so lucky to have him. The alpha had been willing to sacrifice his life for Dean; if that didn’t show loyalty and care, then nothing would.

Dean didn’t even realise he was purring until Castiel’s rumbles were vibrating through both their bodies. Dean didn’t mind; he liked it when the alpha was happy. He nuzzled Cas’ neck, purrs growing louder when Castiel’s hand tangled into his hair and began petting his head.

He gently pushed the alpha’s back against his mattress before curling into his chest and Cas tucked Dean’s head under his chin as they snuggled into one another and closed their eyes.

“You’re safe, Dean,” murmured Cas and Dean didn’t know whether that was reassurance for him or the alpha himself.

He didn’t particularly care as long as Cas was alive beside him.

“I missed you,” Dean mumbled, mind beginning to shut down from exhaustion. “Thought I’d never see you again.”

Cas yawned tiredly as he pulled Dean tight to his chest.

“I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

“Good,” smiled Dean as he drifted off to sleep.

They could do nothing more today, but tomorrow would bring fresh ideas and renewed determination, however for now, they were content with the knowledge the other was safe in their arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was Crowley what you expected?
> 
> It was great hearing everybody's thoughts on him. Just a few of the guesses about his profession included:  
> 1\. A prostitute  
> 2\. A human trafficker  
> 3\. A John/pimp  
> 4\. A drug dealer  
> I've loved reading everybody's opinions of his relationship with Dean too! Some people thought he was a good boyfriend, some thought he was mediocre and others thought he was actively using Dean or treating him poorly. Like I've said time and time again, it is up to you how you see him. I purposefully wrote him a little ambiguously so you can make your own decisions.
> 
> The story has not yet ended though! Lots more to come ;)


	23. Unexpected help

It was difficult for Castiel to untangle himself from Dean the next morning. The omega seemed to be having troubles letting him go as well. Whether that was because they were still shaken from the previous evening and didn’t want to let each other out of their sights, or because their souls were very happily nestled close to one another as they slept and they felt cold and lonely when they parted, neither of them were sure. All they knew was when they woke up, their embraces of one another lingered a little too long and there was a strange tension between them that they hadn’t really noticed before.

Castiel eventually managed to slip out of Dean’s arms and get out of bed. As soon as he stood up, he wished he could snuggle back under the covers again and curl around Dean. If Dean’s slight frown was anything to go by, the omega wanted that too.

“I need to go,” murmured Cas, trying to convince himself. “I need to find a way to get the money.”

“You don’t have to do this all on your own, Cas,” mumbled Dean as he sat up. “This is my mess; it should be me who’s worrying about trying to get the money.”

Cas smiled sadly. They both knew Dean would never be able to scrape together that much; at least Cas had a chance.

“We’ll sort this out,” Cas promised. “We’ll get out of this.”

Dean’s gaze lowered. “I’m so sorry. For everything.”

Castiel scowled and nearly gave in to his urge to pull Dean into his arms and nuzzle his cheek.

_Wait… Nuzzle his cheek?_

The alpha shook his head. “Stop apologising. This isn’t your fault. You did the right thing in contacting me.”

“I should’ve called the police,” sighed Dean and Cas pulled a face. Crowley may have been a hitman but they both knew Dean still cared for him after being in a relationship with him for over seven months. The omega didn’t want to see the alpha who’d defended and cared for him be put behind bars or worse. Crowley wasn’t a good man, but he wasn’t evil either; he’d let Cas and Dean escape despite the trouble it would get him in with his colleagues and boss, so he must like Dean to some extent. Not to mention neither Cas nor Dean knew how many people were involved in this hitman business. If they put three of them behind bars, who's to say more wouldn't come after the teens?

“It doesn’t matter now. The fact is we’re alive and we’ll get the money to make sure we stay that way,” said Cas. “It’ll all work out, I promise.”

Dean glanced up, beautiful green eyes boring into Cas’ with an emotion the alpha couldn’t quite identify.

“Thank you,” Dean breathed. “You’re always there for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ve never had a friend like you.”

Cas swallowed thickly, that strange tension building between them again, waiting for _something_ to happen. He just didn’t know what.

The alpha nodded. “I could say the same to you,” he murmured before glancing at the door. “I really do have to go.”

Dean nodded once in acknowledgement. “See you tomorrow?” Tomorrow was Monday. They had school. After everything that had happened, they would still have to go to school despite them possibly ending up dead at the end of the week.

“See you tomorrow,” Cas agreed quietly, the weight of the situation settling heavy in both their minds.

Cas crept past John’s bedroom, the smell of beta making his nose wrinkle. He wondered how long it would be before John kicked her out or if maybe she would leave before he woke up.

It was approaching nine o’clock when Cas pulled into his drive. He opened the door as quietly as possible and crept into the house.

He made it two steps before he was faced with a scowling Naomi and Zachariah.

Standing in the doorway to the living room was Gabriel, clearly waiting for Lucifer to come downstairs for whatever trip they had planned for the day and as he leaned against the doorframe, he looked at Cas curiously.

“Explain,” was all Zachariah said and Castiel tried to hide his gulp.

“What do you mean?” Castiel tried in a futile effort to pretend he didn’t know what they were talking about.

Zachariah exploded. “I mean why did you steal my car last night and only bring it back this morning when you don’t even have a licence?! I mean where have you been all night and why didn’t you tell us where you were going?! Why did you wait for me to come into your room last night to find you missing?! Did you plan to run away, boy?!”

Cas’ eyes widened. He honestly hadn’t thought anyone would notice he was gone. Apparently, his parents had come to check on him at the worst possible time. How was he going to get out of this one? And how was he supposed to ask for twenty-five-thousand dollars afterwards? He was already in trouble for his defence of Gabriel.

Think, Cas, think…

“I… I had to take a friend to the hospital. He called me to say he got caught in an accident; a crash and he’s terribly hurt. He doesn’t have much money and the doctors are saying something about leg reconstruction but he doesn’t have the money to pay for it. If he can’t scrape enough together, they said they’re just going to have to amputate both legs because they’re so badly mangled.” Cas shook his head desperately. “He’s devastated and so frightened. I’ve never seen him like this and I… I don’t want to see him lose the ability to do all the things he loves. It would break him,” Cas whispered, seemingly upset.

Naomi raised an eyebrow. “Who’s your friend? The only person I can think of who's poor is Dean. It’s not him, is it? Your soulmate?”

Castiel paused. If they believed it was Dean, they would probably be more willing to hand over the money if they thought Castiel’s future with his mate was at risk.

He nodded sadly and Naomi and Zachariah glanced at one another.

“Well, I’d say he deserves it after all the times he hit and publicly humiliated you,” snorted Zachariah. “Let the kid lose his legs; you can do so much better than him anyway. You don’t want a scarred omega as a mate, especially one who’s so… unruly.”

Naomi nodded in agreement. “That boy has been trouble since you first met him and he’s been taking pleasure in embarrassing and manipulating you since your souls first reacted. He clearly has no intention of being your mate and he’s pushed himself onto another alpha to make you jealous. You don’t need to associate with filth like that. You said your souls weren’t reacting all that much anyway; ignore him, Castiel. He can fix his own mess and if he can’t, well… I’d say it’s a hard lesson he’s learned. Maybe next time he won’t be so cruel to his soulmate.”

Cas’ eyes widened. What? Were they being serious? Dean may not have actually been involved in a crash, but to learn that his parents were willing to let him suffer was horrifying. Even Gabe’s jaw had dropped.

Shoot. That meant Cas now had to think of something else to get the money.

“Next time, tell us where you are,” huffed Zachariah, but his anger had faded slightly at the news Castiel was only trying to help someone. “And don’t associate with those Winchesters anymore. They deserve all the misfortune that comes to them after the way they’ve treated you.”

Naomi hummed in agreement. “You’re too kind, Castiel. You shouldn’t feel any kind of obligation to that boy.”

Castiel scowled as his parents turned away but the expression soon faded into one of panic. He needed to think quickly if he was to get the money. 

“Wait!” He blurted and his parents paused. “I… Dean’s not in hospital. There was no crash. I… I lied.”

His parents turned to face him fully, confused frowns marring their faces. 

The young alpha lowered his gaze in shame. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to but I was scared of what you’d say; of disappointing you,” he lied. He sucked in a breath. “I… I’ve got myself into a lot of trouble with some very bad people. I should never have spoken to them, but I was curious and I didn’t understand what they were doing.” He refused to meet his parents’ rapidly hardening glares.

“A couple of months ago, I… I went to a party. Three men were inhaling a strange powder and I wasn’t sure what it was. They told me it made them feel constantly elated and they offered for me to try some, so I did. I… I enjoyed it so I asked them if I could buy some from them. Each week I would get a little more from them and other people started hearing about it and wanted to buy it off me. Soon I ran out of money to keep them supplied and the men grew angry with me. Last night they wanted me to meet them so I could pay them what I owed, but I didn’t have the money and they said if I didn’t get it in five days, they were going to shoot me.” 

His parents’ eyes widened in shock, Naomi gasping quietly.

Castiel forced himself to shed a few tears. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so deeply sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. Now they want to kill me and I… I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to get twenty-five thousand dollars from.”

He sniffled pathetically as he dropped his gaze and his parents were silent for a few moments.

“Go to your room,” murmured Zachariah lowly and Castiel frowned because that wasn’t the response he’d been expecting.

“Father?”

“ _ROOM, CASTIEL!_ ” Roared Zachariah, face a furious red. “How dare you shame this family with matters of weapons and illegal substances! What is everyone going to think when they realise that one of the Novak children has taken to drug dealing? I’m ashamed of you, Castiel! You’re not the son we raised you to be! You’re not the alpha we believed you capable of being! You’re no better than the disgusting, crack-addicted thugs that fill state prisons!”

The older alpha shook his head in distaste. “You’re not giving any money to encourage these people to turn more good alphas into what you’ve become. You’re a deceitful, tainted abomination and I won’t give you a single cent to feed your filthy habit. You will go to school and come home and you will never be allowed outside again for as long as you live under my roof,” snarled Zachariah. “After that, you can pump yourself up with as many drugs as you like, but don’t expect to be welcomed back into this house, boy.”

Naomi looked on the verge of tears and she refused to look at Castiel, apparently so disgusted by him.

“Get out of my sight,” growled Zachariah. “You’ll have no problems avoiding your dealers if you’re not allowed out of the house. I’ll shoot them myself if they come here.”

Castiel’s mouth snapped shut as ice seeped into his body. Although he wasn’t a drug dealer or abuser, it hurt to have his family reject him so quickly. He’d spent seventeen years being raised by these people and suddenly he was nothing more than a ‘tainted abomination’? No better than the criminals that lined the prisons? That stung more than anything anyone had ever said to him before. 

He’d told them he would die if he didn’t get the money, yet they still weren’t willing to offer him anything? Granted, it was a lot of money to give, but they weren’t even going to talk about it? They were willing to risk their son being killed because of what? Their reputation? Their pride? Their egos?

Did they even care what happened to him? 

Heart clenching and real tears threatening to leak from behind his eyelids, Castiel wordlessly side-stepped them and trudged up the stairs.

“How could this have happened?” He heard his mother whisper. “What have we done wrong?”

Cas disappeared into his bedroom. 

It looked as though he was going to die afterall. 

 

* * *

 

Ten minutes later saw Cas dabbing his stray tears with his sleeve as he glanced at his phone. What was he going to do? Would he have to tell Dean he couldn’t get the money and they were going to have to make peace with the fact they were going to be dead before the end of the week was over? Cas didn’t want to die. He didn’t want Dean to die either. He would have to come up with another plan.

Just as he reached for his phone to tell Dean his first plan hadn’t worked, there was a light knock at his door.

As Castiel faced the door, a blond head and two golden eyes peeked around it.

Cas raised an eyebrow as Gabriel crept into his room, closing the door behind him silently. He crossed his arms and stared at Cas as he leaned on the wall.

“Who’s your supplier?” Gabriel asked and Cas blinked, confused.

“What’s the name of your supplier?” Gabriel insisted. “Come on, kid. What kind of stuff are you taking? How much do you buy? What’s the going rate? Where’s the rendezvous point? I need details, kiddo.”

Cas blinked in shock. Was Gabriel being serious? Surely, he wasn’t a substance abuser?

“I… uh…” he trailed off, mind drawing a blank. He didn’t know any drug dealers and Gabriel would know he was lying if he searched any names he might come up with.

The omega snorted.

“You’re a terrible liar, Castiel.”

Cas froze and Gabriel shook his head.

“You’re not a drug dealer, nor do you take drugs; you don’t have the off-putting scent and your eyes aren’t bloodshot. Your fingers aren’t yellow and your hands don’t shake. You’re never sick, you're always bright and alert and your hair is soft and shiny. You’ve probably never even seen an illegal drug, much less taken one. Not to mention twenty-five-thousand dollars is way too much to pay for drugs in only a couple of months. You'd probably be snorting diamonds for that amount. You’d have to be stupid to believe you’re a regular crack addict.”

Gabriel paused as he tilted his head. “That’s probably why your parents believed it.”

Cas stared at Gabriel blankly and the omega cracked a grin.

“It was easy to see you were lying back there.” His grin faded. “But twenty-five-thousand dollars is a lot of money. Wanna tell me why you need that much?”

Cas contemplated keeping the lie up, but he knew Gabriel wouldn’t believe him and telling another lie was more likely to make the omega irritated; he seemed to be able to read Castiel very well.

Maybe he should just tell the truth? Or at least a version of it that wouldn’t reveal Crowley’s identity. Who knew who would come after him if he put Crowley and his two alphas behind bars? Where did Crowley’s parents stand in all of this anyway?

Cas caught Gabriel’s patient gaze and sighed, gesturing for Gabriel to sit beside him on the bed.

“Dean and I… we saw something we shouldn’t have. Dean watched a man be murdered in a really poor part of town. There was nothing he could’ve done and the man wasn’t a good person, so he ran because he was scared of what might happen if he got involved. Except, the people who killed the man saw him running and chased him, thinking he would go straight to the police.

“He managed to escape by hiding in an alley and he called me because he didn’t know what to do. Last night, I stole the car to get to him. I wanted to bring him back to a safe place, but when we tried to run, one of the killers caught us. He told us we had to die because we’d seen too much but after a lot of begging, he decided if we paid him twenty-five-thousand dollars within five days and promised to keep quiet, he would let us live. If we don’t get the money… he knows where we live and it won’t matter what Father does, both Dean and I will be dead before the week’s over.”

Gabriel watched in silence as Cas bowed his head. It was clear the alpha was frightened and at a loss. 

“Who were the killers?” Gabriel asked softly. “What did they look like?”

Cas glanced at Gabriel apologetically. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone. I can’t go to the police because they’re not just a group of serial killers. They’re a business and they have specific targets. They don’t kill randomly. I don’t even know how many of them there are. There were three where we were, but I doubt they’re the only ones who are in that line of work around here.”

Gabriel sucked in a breath. “You were caught by _hitmen?_ ”

At Castiel’s nod Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. “How are you not dead?” He breathed and Cas looked away again.

Gabriel was quiet for a few moments as he stared at the alpha. “The guy who caught you… you don’t know him, do you? He’s not like… a friend or something, is he?”

Castiel glanced once at the omega and it was all Gabriel needed to know. He nodded in understanding.

“I see,” he muttered solemnly. “Well… that’s quite the mess you’ve got yourselves into.”

Castiel closed his eyes as silence fell between them.

“Mother and Father didn’t even question it,” whispered Cas brokenly. “After all the times I’ve tried to live up to their expectations, all the times I’ve done as they’ve asked and followed their rules and made friends with the people they wanted me to be friends with… I even lost my real friends all for the family’s reputation and appearance… and they just… accepted I’d suddenly become involved with drugs despite there being no signs, and now I’m a huge disappointment. An abomination that has shamed the family.”

A tear rolled down Cas’ cheek. “They didn’t even offer to talk about anything; I’m just a lost cause who doesn’t belong in this family.” 

The alpha suddenly scowled. “I’m not even taking drugs, yet I’m upset about how my parents would’ve reacted if I had been. How pathetic is that?”

Gabriel frowned and wrapped an arm around the alpha.

“I don’t think it’s pathetic in the slightest. Your parents were very quick to punish you without talking about why you may have done something like that and they weren’t willing to offer you help even though you’ve never had any problems before. You’ve always done everything they’ve asked yet they were going to turn their backs on you at the first sign of something going wrong in their _perfect_ world. I think you have every right to be upset.”

Castiel leaned into Gabriel, burying his face into his shoulder as he hid his tears. Gabriel’s scent was very comforting and the omega was kind and patient. 

Lucifer was a very lucky alpha.

Gabriel gently petted Castiel’s head, knowing the action would be soothing to the younger boy.

“I’m scared,” whimpered Cas. “I’m scared about what’s going to happen to me and Dean. I don’t want to die.”

Gabriel hugged the young alpha a little tighter.

“You’re not gonna die, kiddo. I won’t let you. I’ll give you the money.”

Cas froze and slowly looked up at the omega.

“…Gabe?”

Gabriel offered him a soft smile. “I’m gonna give you twenty-five-thousand dollars so you don’t get hunted by these guys.”

Cas’ eyes blew wide as he shook his head. “…No, I can’t ask you to do that for me. You can’t pay that much.” He glanced at the omega. “Do you even have that much?”

Gabriel chuckled. “One, you’re not asking; I’m offering. Two, I have enough,” he winked before he sobered.

“I’m not letting you be killed by these people. You’re a good kid; you deserve a chance to have a life outside your moronic parents.”

Cas’ jaw hung open slightly. “Gabriel… I… I can’t… you can’t just give me that. We’re not even related… you hate our family! Why on Earth would you want to give me so much money?”

Gabriel smiled. “You stood up for me. Despite barely knowing me and even though it would get you into trouble, you defended me against your brothers and parents. You bettered yourself and you strived to break away from your family’s ridiculous expectations. You started looking at the world in a different way and you ignored old-fashioned traditions and stereotypes and became a better alpha because of it. You tried to make yourself more understanding of others and that’s what’s important.”

Gabriel shook his head. “When I first met you, you didn’t know morals from tradition and you were quite happy to force Dean into mating you. Now you’re trying to save his life and you’re willing to ruin your relationship with your parents to do that. If that’s not character development, I don’t know what is.”

Castiel blinked in surprise and Gabriel chuckled. “I’m giving you the money because you deserve to live. You deserve a happy ending and if I can give you that then I’d say my life has been worth living too, wouldn’t you?”

Castiel flung himself at Gabriel, throwing his arms around him tightly as tears of relief and gratitude crawled down his cheeks.

“Thank you, Gabriel,” he breathed. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. I… I can’t believe you’re willing to do this for me.”

Gabriel curled his arms around the alpha. “You don’t owe me anything. Just keep fighting to be the alpha you’re trying so hard to be.” He squeezed Cas gently. “I’m proud of you, kiddo.”

“If Lucifer ever hurts you, call me and I’ll make sure he regrets it,” murmured Cas and Gabriel huffed out a laugh.

“I’ll remember that.”

Cas smiled and slowly pulled away.

“So, how are we doing this? Do I pay cash or…?” Gabriel trailed off curiously and Castiel shook his head as he reached for his phone. 

“Dean has the bank details. I’ll get him to text them to me and then you should be able to transfer the money.” 

Gabriel nodded and leaned back as he watched Castiel message Dean.

“Where’s Dean’s boyfriend in all of this anyway? I thought he would have called him for help instead of you,” the omega commented idly.

Castiel flinched and Gabriel’s smile fell.

“Oh,” was all he said and Castiel refused to meet his gaze.

Castiel managed to forward the bank details to Gabriel and the omega nodded when he received them. 

“I’ll make sure to do that as soon as Lucifer and I get into town. He’s taking me to see a show-tune philharmonic orchestra,” supplied Gabriel at Cas’ curious glance. “He knows I like Broadway musicals, but since New York’s a little far, he’s taking me to the next best thing.”

Cas quirked a smirk and Gabriel shook his head with a smile.

“Shut up.”

“I hope you have fun,” the alpha murmured instead as Gabriel stood.

“Will do. Now stop worrying. I promise I’ll get it sorted.”

Castiel smiled. “Thank you again, Gabriel. I… I’m honoured you’re doing this for me. For us.”

“Yeah, well, I hope you’re going to introduce me to this Dean guy one day. It would be nice to put a face to the omega who keeps getting you into trouble,” winked Gabriel before making his way over to the door.

“Somehow, I have a feeling you two will get along splendidly,” replied Cas drily and Gabriel laughed before leaving the room.

As he closed the door, he felt a presence behind him.

“Should I ask how you have a spare twenty-five-thousand dollars in your pocket?”

“You could, but I’d reply that it’s rude to eavesdrop,” Gabriel commented. He turned to face Lucifer. “That was a private conversation.”

“My little brother is in trouble with a hitman. I think I have an excuse to listen in,” shot back Lucifer. 

“So, you don’t believe he’s a drug dealer?” Teased Gabriel as they made their way down the stairs.

“Castiel wouldn’t know weed from a dandelion,” scoffed Lucifer.

“Your parents don’t seem to think that way.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “My parents wouldn’t know weed from a dandelion either.” He glanced at Gabriel. “Castiel has been acting very out-of-character lately and he did steal the car.”

“He was trying to help out a friend,” pointed out Gabe.

Lucifer snorted. “You and I both know Dean is more than a friend. You don’t ask your family for that amount of money and you don’t get involved with a hitman for just anyone. Castiel is head over heels for that omega.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “You picked up on that too, huh?”

“I’m not blind,” huffed Lucifer. “Never thought I’d say it, but my little brother is in love with Dean Winchester.” The alpha shook his head. “I never thought they’d get along, much less fall for one another.”

“There’s hope for everyone,” murmured Gabriel quietly, not meeting Lucifer’s gaze and the alpha paused as he regarded the omega carefully.

“I suppose there is,” he agreed softly, a comfortable silence falling between them.

As they were walking to Gabriel’s car, Lucifer spoke up.

“Text me the details for that bank account. You’re not paying for my family’s problems.”

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “You’re going to pay out twenty-five-thousand dollars for Cas and Dean’s mess?”

Lucifer scowled. “He’s my little brother. Of course I’m going to pay the money to save his life. What do you think I am; a cold-hearted monster?”

Gabriel snapped his jaw shut because he’d never seen Lucifer care about anyone.

“Aren’t your parents going to be angry if they find out you paid the money after they said they weren’t going to?”

Lucifer pulled a face. “My parents won’t find out and if they do I don't care. I have my own bank account and my own money which I’ve earned from working at Father’s company. I can do what I want with it and I want to make sure my little brother doesn’t end up looking down the wrong end of a barrel.”

Gabriel honestly hadn’t thought Lucifer would be so insistent about protecting his brother. It was a pleasant surprise.

“Still, it’s a lot of money. Why don’t you let me pay for half of it? I told Cas I would anyway and I don’t want you to lose all your hard-earned cash.”

Lucifer looked reluctant, opening his mouth to argue, but Gabriel’s gaze softened.

“Remember what I said about you not being any less of an alpha by letting me support you?”

Lucifer closed his mouth. “…Alright, Gabriel,” he conceded and the omega smiled as they hopped into the car.

They had an alpha and his crush to save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't think there's any more weird plot twists from now on! Although there might be; not decided yet! Hope you're still enjoying!
> 
> Hey, did anyone watch Eurovision? And if so who did you vote for? Most of my favourites came on the right-hand side of the screen :(


	24. The Birthday party

Lucifer and Gabriel stuck to their words and when the next morning rolled around, Cas and Dean noticed Crowley hadn’t turned up to school. His ‘bodyguards’ seemed at a loss with no one to ‘protect’ so they quietly dispersed and conversed with their own friends.

Wary, Cas and Dean found themselves sticking by each other’s sides throughout the day. They’d had no confirmation from Crowley that the payment had gone through and therefore, no reassurance that they weren’t still being hunted, so Dean ended up introducing Cas to his friends mainly because they refused to part from one another.

Understandably, Jo, Charlie, Benny and Ash were distrusting of Castiel. They made it clear they didn’t like him accompanying them and Dean frowned at their petty insults and harsh comments, but Castiel never said a word against them. He sat silently and listened to their hurtful barbs, seemingly accepting of their cruelty, until Dean snapped at his friends, shutting them up immediately.

Their eyes widened in surprise when Dean explained all Cas had done for him, from being there for his shift to jumping in front of a gun for him (even if he couldn’t tell them all the details of _that_ particular story) and by the end of his explanation, they looked suitably ashamed of themselves for ridiculing the alpha.

Cas however, told them they had every right to dislike him after the way he’d behaved in earlier years and that he deserved their harsh remarks anyway, which only served to make the others feel even more guilty.

Crowley didn’t show up the next day either, nor the one after that and the one after that. By the time Friday rolled around, rumours were spreading that Crowley was never returning to the school because he’d moved states. 

Dean wasn’t sure how to feel. On one hand, he was upset that the alpha he’d cared for would never come to see him again and they would never spend another night curled around one another in bed, just chatting in the darkness about anything and everything.

On the other hand, Crowley had pointed a gun at his head. 

And Cas’.

And he was a murderer. 

Of multiple people.

…Maybe not the best relationship material.

At least neither Dean nor Cas were dead. The payment had obviously gone through. Castiel made a note to thank Gabriel once more next time they saw one another and Dean had asked to thank him from him as well.

Another plus was Dean’s friends seemed to be growing used to having Cas sit at their table for lunch. They were slowly beginning to interact with him and after Castiel had made it clear to the likes of Gordon and Ruby that he wasn’t interested in associating with them ever again, Dean’s friends had begun to warm to him.

Two weeks passed and they started asking if Cas would like to sit next to them during lessons. After three weeks, Charlie was doing a history project with the alpha. On the fourth week, Castiel was tutoring Benny in English and in return Benny taught Cas how to play baseball. During the fifth weekend, Castiel took them all (and Sam) to the secluded theme park he had visited with the Winchesters a few months previous.

After six weeks, it was like the group had always been friends. Castiel fit in well and everyone was rather surprised about it, even Castiel himself. The alpha had never felt so included before and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with anybody as interesting as his new friends. Jo had the face of an Angel, with a sharp tongue and more determination than anyone Cas had ever met before; Benny came off as gruff and a little rough around the edges, but he was extremely loyal and protective of his friends; Charlie was a computer genius (and adorably nerdy) but she was also brave and she wouldn’t let anyone push her around; and Ash was the most laid-back person Cas had ever seen. The whole school might have been burning around him, but Ash would have stopped at the vending machine for a Hershey bar. He was also incredibly intelligent. Like, _explain quantum physics in under sixty seconds_ intelligent.

Dean and his friends had even defended Cas when Uriel and Alistair thought they could corner him on his way out of school to take revenge for the comments he’d made about them all those weeks ago.

Castiel couldn’t remember being this happy in school. It used to be he could never wait for the school day to end so he could get home and entertain himself in his room, but now he couldn’t wait to get away from his family so he could go to school and see his friends. He wasn’t allowed out on a weekend because of his parents’ rules about him being grounded for ‘drug dealing’, but that didn’t mean his friends didn’t contact him to keep him from being lonely.

Seven weeks after the hitman fiasco, Castiel’s birthday rolled in. The alpha wasn’t allowed a party nor was he allowed to go out to see his friends and he resigned himself to the fact his eighteenth birthday would be a very lonely one.

He received a few presents from his family but opening them with his parents and brothers was an uncomfortable affair. His mother and father bought him a book entitled _‘Drug Abuse and How I Am Hurting My Family’_ and a self-testing-drug kit which would prove whether he was clean or not. 

Michael bought him a Bible and a DVD on the effects of different illegal substances on the body. Raphael gave him a leaflet for the local Drug Addictions Anonymous club and a book on _‘How to Cleanse the Mind of Evil’_. 

Lucifer apparently got him nothing.

Castiel gathered up his ‘gifts’ and thanked his family politely before returning to his room and dumping them at the back of his wardrobe. Heart heavy and mind numb, the alpha trudged over to his old upright piano. 

He considered playing something of Tchaikovsky’s but as he flicked through one of his music books, his mind wandered to the time he and Dean had watched Bon Jovi live. 

He had learned quite a few rock songs by now and he was in the mood for something heavy and loud; something he could shove all his pent-up emotion into.

Half way through _‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’_ , there was a knock on Castiel’s door.

He sighed in irritation. He didn’t want to deal with his family any more today. He shuffled towards the door and opened it to reveal a curious Lucifer holding his hands behind his back.

The older alpha cocked an eyebrow. “May I come in?”

Cas wanted to say ‘no’, but he didn’t want to get into further trouble and an annoyed Lucifer was not something anyone wanted to induce.

He wordlessly stepped aside and the older alpha closed the door behind him.

“I’ve never heard that song played on piano before,” hummed Lucifer. “You play it well.”

Castiel’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise. It was rare to hear a compliment from Lucifer.

“Gabriel and I wanted to give you this,” murmured Lucifer when it was clear Castiel wasn’t in a talkative mood. He pulled his hands from behind his back to reveal a book of Bryan Adams sheet music for piano. Attached to the cover were two tickets for his live concert.

Castiel’s eyes widened and his gaze snapped up to Lucifer in shock.

“Don’t pretend you don’t play classic rock until one a.m. on a Saturday night on that old thing,” smirked Lucifer as he gestured to the piano. “I’ve heard you.”

Castiel snapped his jaw shut and the other alpha smiled softly as he pushed the book towards his brother. “We were thinking maybe you could invite one of your friends. Dean’s a fan of classic rock, isn’t he?”

Castiel gingerly took the book, staring at the tickets in stunned silence.

“I know you’re on watch by Mother and Father, but I’m pretty sure I can distract them long enough for you to sneak out. Gabe says he doesn’t mind inviting them out to dinner with us for one evening so you can have some fun,” murmured Lucifer and Castiel glanced up at his brother, speechless. Since when had Lucifer become so thoughtful?

The older alpha smiled softly and Cas didn’t think he’d ever seen his brother wearing such a sincere expression. It suited him.

“Happy birthday, Castiel,” said Lucifer quietly and Cas carefully put the book down before flinging his arms around his brother and tugging him into a hug.

“Thank you, Luce,” he whispered, smiling when a pair of arms wrapped cautiously around his middle. “I can’t believe you did this for me. Thank you very much.”

Lucifer chuckled and hugged his brother a little tighter. “Gabriel will be happy you like it. I’ll make sure to tell him.”

“Thank you,” Cas whispered again, relaxing into his brother’s embrace for a few moments before reluctantly pulling away. “He’s good for you. And I know you could be good for him. Don’t let him get away,” he said after a few seconds.

Lucifer cocked an amused eyebrow. “Why? Are you going to make me regret it if I ever hurt him?”

Cas’ eyes widened in shock and Lucifer grinned. 

“I’ll remember that, little brother,” he winked.

Castiel blinked. Wait, so if Lucifer had overheard his conversation with Gabriel all that time ago, did that mean he knew about…?

“I should probably take your threat quite seriously, mind you. I mean, I’ve heard you know some rather professional people with guns,” commented Lucifer airily and Castiel balked before flushing pink.

The older alpha chuckled before his expression sobered into something more serious. 

“Promise me you’ll be more careful? I really don’t want to find my baby brother lifeless in some filthy back-alley. Next time you run into trouble, call me, okay?” Lucifer frowned slightly. “I know I never tell you, but I care for you. I want to know you’re safe.”

Cas couldn’t help but yank Lucifer into another hug. It was heart-warming to hear such kind words from his usually snarky brother. It made him feel as if there was at least some hope for his family.

Lucifer held him close and they leaned into each other’s embraces.

“I love you, Castiel,” whispered Lucifer. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I love you too, Luce,” breathed Cas as he snuggled into the older alpha. When was the last time he had shared a tender moment with one of his brothers? When was the last time they’d ever shown they cared for one another? It had been so long, Cas had started to believe none of them were really bothered about what happened to one another anymore.

Lucifer and Michael were forever arguing, nobody ever saw much of Raphael and ever since the Bon Jovi concert, Michael and Castiel had been treading on thin ice with each other. 

Castiel was delighted to learn Lucifer was so protective of him.

They held each other for a few more seconds before Lucifer pulled away. 

“Enough chick-flick moments,” he huffed without any heat. “Go be all dark and brooding as you rattle out more classic rock on that decrepit piece of junk.” He gestured once more to the piano.  
Castiel rolled his eyes as Lucifer turned towards the door. He paused before leaving.

“By the way, you might want to let your friends in,” he mumbled and then he was gone.

Castiel frowned in confusion but he didn’t get too much time to contemplate his brother’s words because there was a knock at his window.

He turned to find Jo grinning at him.

Eyebrows jumping to his hairline, he opened the window, allowing Jo, Ash, Benny, Charlie and Dean to hop through. 

“Did you crawl up the rose trellis?” Asked Castiel in disbelief and he received five wide grins.

“Heard you were grounded for all of eternity so decided we’d bring the party to you,” Charlie supplied as Benny threw a tiny, cardboard party hat at him.

Castiel’s heart melted as Benny dragged a variety of pop cans out of his satchel and Ash produced a multitude of chocolates, candies, buscuits and strangely enough, a tub of cocktail sausages from his school bag.

“No party’s complete without these babies,” drawled Ash when Jo glanced at him blankly.

Dean pulled a few DVDs out of his rucksack and Jo emptied out some videogames and controllers.

“Mario Kart is the perfect way to break friendships,” she smirked.

“And when we get tired, we have a few horror movies to stop us from sleeping for the next week,” added Dean. “We also have a few terrible action flicks in case you don’t like horror.”

“We’re definitely playing truth or dare,” announced Charlie. “It’s birthday party tradition.” The others nodded in agreement.

“Oh, guys, cards!” Said Jo suddenly and the others blinked in realisation as they rummaged in their bags to find some slightly bent birthday cards, which they immediately handed to a stunned blue-eyed alpha. When he opened them, he found that some had money in them (or in Ash’s case, a packet of chocolate buttons and chocolate coins – it was a heavy card).

Cas was overwhelmed. He thought he’d be alone on his birthday but apparently his new friends hadn’t been too thrilled with that idea. They’d come all this way and climbed up three floors to wish him a happy birthday and they’d also taken the time to buy him cards and give him money even though he hadn’t exactly been kind to them over the years. He’d never had so many people truly care about him and it was making him more than a little emotional.

“You okay there, buddy?” Asked Dean softly when Cas didn’t reply for a few moments. The alpha nodded gratefully

“I’m fine… I just… thank you. To all of you. This means a lot. Your friendship means a lot.”

The others offered him small smiles before Dean snorted. 

“Alright, enough sap, someone crack open that bag of M&Ms. I need E numbers.”

Jo threw the bag at his face and Dean stuck his tongue out at her, making Cas smile. Making sure to remain quiet enough for Cas’ parents to not pick up on their presence, the group settled down to play Mario Kart.

After a couple of hours of playful banter and a dose of healthy competitiveness, they turned off the game console and instead used an empty can as a substitute for a bottle-spin in ‘truth or dare’.

The dares weren’t all that interesting because they had to keep in mind that Castiel’s parents didn’t know they were here and probably wouldn’t be too happy if they caught five strange teenagers creeping around their house, but they still had fun because the whole game was ridiculous. One dare even had Cas playing ACDC on the piano whilst Dean sang along (out of tune, of course).

Cas’ favourite dare by far however, was having Benny re-enact certain scenes from the copy of _‘Fifty shades of Grey’_ Charlie just so happened to keep in her bag for emergency parties. Watching the usually tough alpha’s face morph into burning embarrassment as he rolled his hips to Charlie’s dramatic reading sent everyone into fits of laughter. Benny didn’t have the nerve to ask for another dare.

After a while, the game dissipated into nothing and the group began to chat amiably about everything from school to their futures. 

Charlie revealed she wanted to become a programmer for computer games, whilst Jo was thinking about helping manage her mother’s bar. Benny wanted to work with the police and Ash said something along the lines of working in forensics.

Dean told everyone he’d stay at the mechanic's until Sam was old enough to go to college and then he’d start really thinking about his future. 

Cas frowned at that but didn’t say anything. He would have to convince Dean that his dreams mattered too. 

When everyone asked what Castiel wanted to do, the alpha had to stop and think for a moment. Nobody had really asked what he wanted to do before; he’d always been expected to work at his father’s company like the rest of his brothers, but now he thought about it, he wanted to do something with animals. He’d always found himself at peace with animals. He was reminded of visiting the shelter with the Winchesters.

“…A vet. I want to be a vet,” he’d told them despite it not being a particularly ‘alpha’ area of study; more associated with betas and recently, omegas.

They had made sounds of acknowledgement and Cas smiled when nobody mocked him for being interested in something less alpha-based than business or politics. His mother and father would certainly have something to say if they thought he wasn’t focused on joining _Sandover Bridge and Iron Inc_. like the rest of the alphas in the family.

Cas frowned. His life was his own; he was going to do what he wanted with it. He definitely wasn’t going to follow his parents’ dreams for him after the way they had turned their backs on him these past weeks.

When the sun finally vanished beneath the horizon, the group closed the curtains, kept the lights off and watched a horror movie on Castiel’s flat-screen. Half way through the film, Castiel found himself with a lap full of Charlie; her head buried into his neck as a scream ripped through the speakers.

Dean chuckled quietly at the awkward way she had managed to sprawl over Castiel’s lap and the blue-eyed alpha gently stroked the other alpha’s back in soothing. 

Jo snorted. “Get up, girl. You’re missing the good part. They’re about to slice him open,” she said a little too gleefully for a supposedly cool, level-headed beta.

Charlied whimpered when there was a sickening squelch and pressed her face deeper into Cas’ neck.

“It’s over,” whispered Cas when the bloody scene ended and Charlie gingerly turned back around, still not ready to let go of her new-found hiding pillow.

Cas couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to another alpha outside the family; after Balthazar, he had always been taught it was wrong to be affectionate in any way with other alphas. Even accidental touching was taboo.

He curled his arm a little more securely around Charlie and the red-head glanced up at him appreciatively as she leaned into him.

Three movies and countless jump scares later, midnight was fast-approaching and Jo stretched with a yawn.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of fun today, but I’m afraid my mom will go mad at us if we’re not home soon.” She glanced at Ash. “We need to go.”

Ash’s socks wriggled and he stood up. “Sure. Let me just locate my foot gloves,” he drawled before shuffling off in search of his shoes.

Jo wrinkled her nose as she gathered up her games. “You’re so weird.”

Cas quirked a half-smile at the pair. “Be careful climbing down there,” he murmured as Ash opened the window.

The laid-back beta held his fingers to his head in a lazy salute.

“Thanks for having us over,” smiled Jo. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”

“I second that,” added Ash before hopping over the window ledge.

“Thank you for breaking into my house,” chuckled Cas.

Jo grinned before gracefully stepping onto the trellis. “Happy birthday, Cas,” she murmured before disappearing.

Another twenty minutes passed before Benny’s own snores woke him up.

The remaining trio held back their snickers as the alpha looked around blearily. 

“Hey, where’s Jo and Ash?”

“Kidnapped by three Russian ninjas in leotards,” supplied Dean helpfully and the alpha shot him an unimpressed glance before scrubbing his hand down his face.

“What time is it?”

“Star-date thirty-three-sixteen on the planet Vulcan. You’ve been asleep for two-hundred and fifteen years,” teased Charlie.

Benny rolled his eyes as he stood and squinted at Cas’ clock. He cursed when he read that it was five minutes to midnight.

“I’ve gotta go. Mom’s gonna be furious with me.” He glanced at Castiel. “Thanks for a great afternoon. Sorry I dozed off at the last part there.”

As he made his way over to the window, Charlie untangled herself from Castiel.

“I think I’ll have to head home too. It was great seeing you and I hope you had a good birthday,” she murmured as she joined Benny.

“The best I’ve ever had,” grinned Castiel. He meant it.

The others’ faces lit up. “See you around,” hummed Benny before clambering down the trellis, Charlie following him.

When they were gone, Dean stretched out on the sofa, making sure not to catch Castiel's legs.

“I guess I should be heading home too,” he commented. He sat upright. “Before I do however, I want to give you this. I know it’s not much but I didn’t want to just put money in your card,” he mumbled a little shyly as he held out a narrow, wrapped box.

Castiel opened it to find a silver fountain pen with a long, elegant feather engraved onto its side. It was actually rather beautiful.

“Dean,” breathed Castiel as he gently took the pen from its box. “Thank you. It’s wonderful.” He glanced at the omega. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“You need a present on your birthday,” scoffed Dean as if he hadn’t worked at the mechanic’s every day after school and on weekends for the past three weeks to be able to afford the gift.

Cas’ gaze warmed. “Thank you,” he said again and Dean smiled.

“No problem, buddy.”

As they continued to gaze at each other, that strange tension grew between them again. The one that was urging something to happen but neither boy was quite sure what.

“Right, I’d better go,” mumbled Dean awkwardly.

As Dean stood, Cas found himself not wanting his friend to leave.

“Is Sam home?” He asked curiously and Dean shook his head. 

“At Jess’ for another sleepover. I think he has a thing for her.”

Cas tilted his head. “…Would you like to sleep over? That is, if there’s nothing urgent requiring your attention at home.”

Dean seemed to perk up a little. “Nah, nothing to go home for.” John was probably surrounded by empty liquor bottles by now. It would be a good idea to stay out of his way.

Plus, he really liked the idea of spending more time with his friend.

Cas brightened. “Would you like to stay then? It’s not as if we have school for the next week.” Half term was upon them.

Dean nodded. “Sure.”

The alpha paused. “…We might have to share the bed. I don’t think I could get to the sleeping bags in the attic without drawing attention to your presence.”

Dean shrugged. “You have a double. I’m pretty sure there’s enough room for us both.”

Cas’ heart was fluttering for some reason. 

“Would you like to watch another movie? I believe there’s a few we didn’t get around to seeing.”

Dean nodded. “Sounds good.”

They cleared up a few candy wrappers and empty cans before Cas offered Dean a spare set of pyjamas. Once dressed, the pair settled into bed and played a B-rated horror film, giggling at some of the terrible effects and awful dialogue. Eventually, their eyes grew heavy and by the time the credits faded to black, they were both half-asleep.

Before he slipped into unconsciousness completely, Cas switched the TV off and smiled at the sight of Dean’s handsome face so peaceful and relaxed.

He finally fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

He wasn’t really sure what woke him, but the room was still pitch-black so it must have been very early. 

His soul was more content than he’d ever felt it but it was leaning towards something and Cas was too tired to work out what it was trying to reach. All he knew was his body was warm and his arms were wrapped around something solid yet strangely comforting. There was also something soft and fluffy tucked under his chin.

The thing in his arms stirred and Cas realised there were also a pair of arms holding him too and they tightened their grip when the thing next to him moved. The sensations were far from unpleasant, in fact, Castiel wouldn’t mind waking up to this position more often and he slowly opened his eyes so he could work out what he was holding. 

It took him a little while to focus, but when he did, his breath caught in his throat.

He and Dean were wrapped around one another, legs tangled and arms curled around one another whilst the omega snuggled into his chest. For some reason, Castiel’s pulse was racing and he was finding it difficult to swallow.

Dean looked absolutely gorgeous with his bed-ruffled hair and his spattering of freckles and his plush pink lips, and the alpha couldn’t tear his gaze away. He smelled amazing too; apple pie and nutmeg. It wasn’t the usual sweet omega scent, but Cas loved it because it made Dean unique, and Dean was a very unique person. At least to Cas anyway.

He couldn’t help but drink in the sight of this beautiful omega who had devoted so much time to helping him become a better person; who was so kind and loyal to his friends and did things like buying trench coats and artistic pens for those he cared about, despite not having much money to spare. This omega loved so much and tried his best to make people happy, yet with a deadbeat father and a boyfriend who turned out to be a hitman, the world didn’t seem to be on Dean’s side.

Cas wished he could make Dean as happy as he made everyone else. He wished he could make the omega believe he was the breathtakingly remarkable person Cas saw him as.

Suddenly, Dean pulled away slightly and Castiel was met with a pair of startlingly green eyes. He hadn’t thought Dean was awake, but now he knew he was, he realised how problematic their position was. They were practically wrapped around one another in bed, limbs tangled and bodies pressed flush against each other.

Dean gulped quietly as they stared at each other with wide eyes and both boys found themselves unable to look away. Dean’s tongue swept nervously over his bottom lip and Cas tracked the movement, suddenly wondering what it would be like to taste those perfect lips.

Dean caught him staring and the omega’s gaze dropped to Cas’ own lips in curiousness. 

Their gazes met again and Dean cautiously leaned closer, Cas soon copying his movements. 

Their lips brushed and then Dean was pressing a little harder when he realised neither of them wanted to pull away, Cas immediately reciprocating and then they were sharing a proper kiss; still fairly gentle, but tender and pleasant nonetheless. 

Their souls flipped with joy and Dean carefully cupped Cas’ cheek as he pressed their lips together more firmly, and Castiel let his arms slip around Dean’s waist and back, tugging him closer in encouragement.

Dean soon got the message as he kissed Cas more confidently, his free arm tightening around Cas’s middle, and the alpha tangled a hand in the omega’s hair, making Dean release a happy mewl.

Cas liked that sound. He nipped experimentally at Dean’s lip and it earned him a quiet gasp. Cas liked that sound too.

He nipped again at the omega’s bottom lip and suddenly, their kisses became a little more heated as they tried to press closer to each other. Dean’s hand moved from Cas’ cheek to slip up the inside of his shirt and it splayed over his bare back.

The hand of Cas’ that wasn’t tangled in Dean’s hair slid under the omega’s shirt and his thumb rubbed small circles into his waist. Dean leaned into the touch and swept his tongue over Cas’ lip, and the alpha quickly parted his lips to allow his friend entrance.

Their kisses got a whole lot more interesting as they explored each other’s mouths, tasting each other and saving it to memory for later and as Dean scraped his nails lightly over Cas’ back, the alpha had the urge to roll Dean onto his back and straddle him for better access.

Dean purred in interest as Cas’ nails scraped gently over his scalp and as the alpha’s other hand fluttered down his sides, Dean began to paw at Castiel’s shirt.

After a few more minutes of teasing at each other’s mouths with nips and licks, Dean eventually managed to remove Cas’ shirt and the alpha shivered when warm hands smoothed over his back and hips possessively.

Dean pulled back slightly to allow Cas to free him from his shirt, but instead of returning to kiss the alpha again, the omega surged upwards to lick and suck at his throat.

Cas rumbled in approval and Dean trailed kisses and nips over it as well, purring when Cas ran his hands over his chest, just as possessive as he had been with the alpha.

He gasped however when a thumb brushed over his nipple and the alpha smirked and rubbed his thumb over the nub again, taking delight in Dean’s rapidly deepening breathing.

Dean crushed their lips together almost desperately and their arms wrapped more securely around one another as they tasted each other’s tongues.

When they pulled apart again, Cas leaned down to swirl his tongue over the omega’s sensitive nipple and Dean groaned softly as he closed his eyes. Pleased by the reaction, Cas gently nipped at the nub and Dean whimpered in pleasure. With an accidental rumble escaping from his chest, Castiel sucked at the nipple as he scraped his nails down Dean’s sides and the omega took in a shaky breath as his back arched from the bed.

Mesmerised by the beautiful omega, Castiel shifted to press their lips together again and Dean’s hips gave a small, involuntary buck upwards.

Both boys gasped at the feeling of each other’s erections and Dean quickly pulled Cas in for another filthy kiss, during which their souls leapt at one another, making them tug each other closer. 

Aroused, Cas rolled his hips against Dean’s, their hardness sliding together and Dean’s hand slipped beneath Cas’ waistband and palmed at his rear in approval. They began to rut against one another and breathy moans escaped them as they teased each other.

Eventually, their fevered kisses dissolved into something more tender and doting and their hips slowed into long, deep rolls.

Cas cupped Dean’s cheek, stroking a thumb over the soft skin as they made out and they found their breathing oddly shaky, as if they were frightened the passionate moment would shatter and one of them would pull away in horror, believing the whole thing to be a mistake.

Their hips stilled as they revelled in the idea of finally being able to act so affectionate with one another and when they pulled back for air, they gazed at each other in awe, dazed smiles lighting their faces.

Cas leaned down again to press doting kisses to Dean’s neck and the omega easily bared his throat to him so the alpha could scent and nuzzle it. He placed an adoring kiss to the soft flesh and Dean shifted to nuzzle at Cas’ jaw, trailing kisses over it before their lips met once more.

They pulled away again with excited grins and Cas rolled onto his side, dragging Dean into his chest again, which made the omega purr contentedly. Dean tucked his head under the alpha’s chin, smiling at Cas’ pleased rumble and they threw their arms around one another, Dean humming happily when Cas began to pepper kisses over his hair.

They snuggled into each other, a sense of peace washing over them and with one last round of scenting and nuzzling, the two dozed off again, cocooned in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're welcome ;)


	25. Caring

Dean had been awake for around twenty minutes now. He was tucked under Cas’ chin, face pressed into the alpha’s bare chest and he was incredibly nervous about waking Castiel up. They hadn’t talked last night about their spontaneous make-out session and Dean wasn’t sure if Cas had meant to do any of it. What if the alpha had just been tired? What if he had taken advantage of the alpha without meaning to? What if Castiel regretted it all and was ashamed of kissing Dean? Afterall, Cas could do so much better than him. Dean had nothing; he wasn’t particularly popular and he didn’t have any money. He presented late so obviously his biology was wrong and his father wasn’t exactly the type of parent you wanted to introduce your other half to. The last time Castiel and John had met, the younger alpha had been faced with a shotgun.

Why on Earth would Castiel ever want him? He’d got into a lot of trouble with his family and it was all Dean’s fault; if anything, the alpha should resent him.

Heck, he’d even gone out of his way to court Crowley to make Cas jealous when they first found out they were soulmates. Granted, he’d ended up liking Crowley only to find out some harsh truths about the alpha, after which he’d needed Cas to save his life, but still, that only further proved the point that Castiel could do far better than a broken, messed up, naive omega like Dean.

It hurt, too, because Dean genuinely liked Castiel. Despite their past, Dean had come to realise somewhere along Cas’ path of redemption, he’d fallen for the quiet, dorky alpha; the true personality of Cas that had been masked by years of stereotyping and expectations and rules from his family. He liked that shy smile of the alpha’s whenever he was enjoying himself, and how observant he was, like when he noticed Sam couldn’t see that time at the cinema, so had offered to trade seats. He liked how thoughtful Cas was and how well he fit in with Dean’s friends in a way that Crowley had struggled to do. He liked how patient and gentle Cas was with animals and how his determination and desire to do good had made him apologise and help all the teens he’d mocked previously. He liked how the alpha was so loyal and protective of his true friends, standing up to the likes of Uriel and Alistair when insults and ridicules were exchanged.

And he had never stopped liking those gorgeous sapphire eyes.

Castiel had so much talent and he was handsome and caring and had a smile that could outshine the sun; he would be the perfect mate to someone one day. Dean wished he could be half the omega Cas deserved, but he knew the alpha could have so much better. 

After having a taste of what could have been last night, Dean felt empty and sorrowful. It was only a matter of time before Cas gently told him he wasn’t interested and that they shouldn’t mention what had happened through the night.

Cas stirred and Dean stiffened, waiting for the inevitable, polite rejection.

He hadn’t anticipated the alpha’s gentle nuzzle of his hair and the press of lips against his temple.

“You’re very tense,” murmured Castiel quietly before pressing another kiss to his forehead. “Is everything alright?”

The omega blinked in surprise.

When Dean didn’t reply right away, Castiel’s eyes opened and he pulled back slightly, suddenly uncertain.

“Please tell me you’re not having second thoughts about last night,” whispered Cas, pale. “Tell me I didn’t accidentally force you into doing something you weren’t comfortable with.” He closed his eyes in shame. “Please tell me I didn’t mess up again.”

Dean quickly reached out to soothe the alpha, heart fluttering in excitement when he realised Cas didn’t regret anything.

“Woah, woah, you didn’t mess up. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. I’m not having second thoughts and you definitely didn’t force me into doing anything I didn’t want.” He lowered his gaze. “Actually, I was tense because I thought you would have second thoughts.”

Cas blinked, puzzled. “Why would I not want this?” He gestured to how Dean was still wrapped in his arms. “Why would I not want you? You’re the most amazing thing to ever happen to me.”

Dean’s cheeks burned pink and he averted his gaze, making Cas’ expression soften as he cupped the omega’s face and forced him to look up.

“You are the most wonderful person I’ve ever met. You are strong, intelligent, beautiful, courageous… Dean, you have everything. Honestly? I’m awed by you. I never thought I’d ever be worthy of you, yet last night, I was honoured by your touches and kisses.” Cas smiled embarrassedly. “Although, now I’ve had a taste, I’m not sure I could ever just let you go.”

A grin slowly lit Dean’s face before he was pressing their lips together, tender and adoring and Cas released a loud rumble of pleasure that had them both biting back laughter.

“…You could do so much better,” whispered Dean and Cas shook his head as he stole another kiss.

“There is no better than you.”

Humbled, Dean buried his face into Cas’ neck and the alpha stroked a hand over his back.

“I’m sorry about getting you into trouble with your parents. I’m sorry about hitting you all those times and snapping at you and going out of my way to make you uncomfortable,” the omega murmured ashamedly and Cas snorted softly. 

“If I apologised for all the terrible things I’ve done to you, we’d be here for three days. Besides, I’m not sorry you did those things. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. I’m glad you called me out on my horrific behaviour.”

Dean nuzzled Cas’ throat and the alpha held him tighter.

“…I can’t believe this is actually happening,” breathed Dean. “I can’t believe we’re…”

“Together?” Finished Cas with a smile. “Neither can I. Although I did always wonder why it felt so natural to hold you. Gabriel told me omegas don’t purr unless they feel really content and safe with someone, yet you purred a lot during your Shift.”

Dean looked away shyly. “…I kinda enjoyed you holding me. I didn’t mean to purr, it just sort of… happened.”

When Dean flicked his gaze back to the alpha, Cas was beaming and the omega relaxed, a small amused smile lighting his face.

“Shut up,” Dean huffed good-naturedly and Castiel tangled his fingers in the other boy’s hair and peppered kisses over his face, making Dean release another delighted purr.

Cas’ smile widened and Dean flushed red.

Eventually they settled down again, with Dean placing his head on Cas’ chest almost timidly as the alpha smoothed a hand over his back. The omega wrapped his arms around his alpha and smiled when Cas nuzzled his hair.

“Best birthday present ever,” hummed Castiel and Dean grinned as he pressed his lips to the alpha’s chest.

“Happy birthday, Cas.”

 

* * *

 

Gabriel felt tears roll down his cheeks as he stared brokenly at his phone. He had been in the middle of his evening meal with Lucifer at a local restaurant when his phone had started ringing. He had noticed it was from his work so had asked to be excused because his work never rang him unless there was an emergency.

Now he was sat in the toilets, crying.

He’d been fired. He was head chef and basically leader of the kitchen and he’d been fired.

For being an omega.

They’d said it was because there had been a lot of complaints about his food and that his work ethic had slipped over the past few months, but Gabriel knew there was no truth to these claims; he’d been called out to see customers multiple times about the food and every single one had complimented him. His colleagues told him that although he could be a little scary when things got busy, they had never enjoyed working under anyone as much as they enjoyed working for Gabriel. 

The only thing that had changed over the past five months was the owner. The original owner had been too old to want to keep looking after the restaurant and, after having no children of his own, he had passed it onto his nephew.

Unlike his uncle, the nephew was a traditional, cold-hearted, sexist, racist, alpha pig with too much money.

He took one look at the kitchen and was disgusted by the idea of a _‘weak, fragile omega’_ running it. In his eyes, omegas waited tables or didn’t work at all; alphas should run the show with a few betas under them.

So the nephew had drafted a letter (which would be sent to Gabriel shortly) outlining all the reasons why he wasn’t _‘fit for work’_ and he had called Gabriel to tell him to expect the letter and he _‘wished Gabriel all the best in finding a more suitable job’_.

His head fell into his hands in despair. He could find another job, but now his resume was tainted with that little mark that he’d been fired for ‘poor work ethic’ and who was to say that it wouldn’t happen again? He couldn’t change his gender. Besides, he had loved that job; he loved the people who worked there, the customers who greeted him daily and he loved the food they made. He loved everything about that kitchen and he had always considered himself lucky that he wasn’t like one of those people who hated getting up to go to work in a morning. He had always looked forward to work because he had got that job all on his own and had put in a lot of effort to get to the top.

It hurt that things like this still happened in the twenty-first century and that there was nothing he could do about it. He knew if he took the nephew to court, the judges would immediately take the side of the alpha because that’s how the judicial system worked. Omegas barely had any rights and the law was corrupt.

He closed his eyes in grief. How long was it going to take to find another job? How long was it going to take to claw his way to the top again? He was going to have to prove himself and it was highly unlikely a restaurant owner would just take an omega over an alpha as their head chef. It would take him years to get back to that position.

“Gabriel? Are you in here?” Came a familiar voice and Gabriel knew it was childish but he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want Lucifer to see the tears streaming down his blotchy face. He was thankful there was no one else in the bathroom.

“Gabriel?” Called Lucifer again before there was a pause. “I know you’re in the cubicle. I can see your feet.”

Gabriel winced. “Go away, Lucifer. I’m in the middle of something.” His voice was trembling and there was no way the alpha could have missed it.

“We were supposed to be having dinner. I didn’t expect to find myself talking to a door half way through my steak.”

Gabriel scowled. “Go away. I need to sort something out.” His voice cracked at the end.

Lucifer huffed in irritation. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s wrong and maybe I can help? You’re clearly upset.”

“I’m fine,” snapped Gabriel, not wanting to deal with any more alphas at the moment.

“Obviously not,” growled Lucifer. “Why are you being so difficult? What’s wrong? Just come out and tell me.”

“What, so you can comfort the _‘weak, fragile, pathetic omega’_? So the _‘big, strong, talented alpha’_ can take me into his arms and whisper empty promises and sweet, soothing lies that everything’ll be okay and he’ll make it all better?” Gabriel snorted bitterly. He knew he was being unfair to Lucifer, but he was just so sick of alphas telling him what he could and couldn’t do and he wanted to get all his anger out. 

“At least you finally got what you wanted though, right?” He added sourly and there was a pause before Lucifer’s exasperated voice filtered into the cubicle.

“What are you talking about? Open the door and tell me what’s happened.”

With a scowl, Gabriel flung the door open, tears still streaming and he stepped out of the cubicle and held his arms out in frustration.

“Happy? I’m out. I did what you said. I obeyed my alpha’s orders. Does that mean I get a treat? A pat on the head or maybe a belly rub? Want me to roll over too? Lie down and play dead? That’s the way all you alphas want us to act, isn’t it? All you want us for is our holes and our ability to raise your children to be the selfish, arrogant, sexist pieces of trash you are. Then when you’re bored of us, you knot another omega behind our backs,” bit out Gabriel. “You don’t really care. You say you do but it’s just another way of letting you feel superior to us. You just want us around to make you feel like you’re better than someone.”

Lucifer narrowed his gaze. “What is wrong with you? Why are you suddenly being so hostile? What could I have possibly done wrong now?”

“I was fired!” Snarled Gabriel. “So you can tell your parents you don’t need to ask me to quit my job, because the ‘fat, ugly, crude beast’ was fired for being an omega!” His face was soaked with tears but he didn’t care anymore. He wanted to scream all his fury and heartbreak out.

Lucifer frowned. “What are you talking about? They can’t fire you for being an omega. It’s discrimination.”

Gabriel scoffed mockingly. “Don’t be stupid, of course they can. They always do. The new owner is just as prejudiced and sexist and egotistical as the rest of your idiotic family and he doesn’t think an omega should be running his kitchen. All he has to do is make up some half-formed excuse about my reduced work ethic and dwindling talent and suddenly, he can fire me and I can’t do anything about it!” He wasn’t sure if he was yelling or sobbing now. He just wanted to shout.

“Take him to court,” huffed Lucifer and Gabriel growled.

“And do what?” He yelled. “Are you that naïve? Nobody cares about omegas! I won’t get my job back and he’ll have the satisfaction of beating me twice! When have you ever heard of an omega winning a court battle? We can’t even win in a rape case!”

Lucifer snapped his mouth shut and Gabriel laughed hollowly. 

“I thought you’d be happy,” he bit out. “Afterall, this is what you wanted, isn’t it? You wanted an obedient omega slave who would stay home and clean the house and raise the children you wouldn’t have time for because you’re too busy working and knotting your secretary behind my back.”

Lucifer let out a warning growl. “Enough, Gabriel. I understand you’re distressed but there is no need for this hostility towards me. I’m not the one who fired you.”

Gabriel threw his hands up. “You’re so cold! I thought you would at least try to comfort me, but you’re so unfeeling you won’t even do that.”

Lucifer scowled. “You just said you don’t want me to comfort you. You said all it would be is empty promises and lies.”

Gabriel shoved hard at Lucifer’s chest. He wanted a fight. He wanted to burn all his fury and hurt and worries in a brawl and he knew if he pushed enough buttons, Lucifer would oblige him.

“Get away from me. I don’t need you. I don’t want you here. You’re useless! How could you ever know what it feels like to lose everything you’ve ever worked for? That job was everything to me; I worked my way to the top without any help from anybody and you think I’m just going to give up my whole life for you because you’re an alpha? You’ll never lose anything because even though you’ve got no talent and no manners, Mommy and Daddy will make sure your life is perfect.”

“I worked hard to get where I am,” rumbled Lucifer, clearly offended and Gabriel snorted.

“Please. You work for your father. Do you think he’s going to let you think you’ve failed? He’ll just cover for any mistakes you make and he overpays you for doing nothing all day. You’ve never worked hard in your life.” The omega huffed out a bitter laugh. “Talk about keeping money in the family. You’re just another bunch of alpha fat cats who pick on the little guys.” 

Lucifer growled threateningly. “And you’re the typical whiny omega who thinks the world owes him a living. You preach discrimination and injustice but really, all you want is something to complain about and for people to feel sorry for you.”

Gabriel bristled. “I’ve just lost a job I’ve worked at for years because of my gender. How is that not discrimination?”

“Maybe you really were just incompetent,” snapped Lucifer. “I can certainly understand why the new owner wouldn’t want you in the kitchen when you’re so hot-headed! I’ve not done anything, yet suddenly you’re screaming at me!”

“So you’re going to take his side? He’s an alpha so he must automatically be right and I’m just a stupid, good-for-nothing, temperamental waste of space?” Bit out Gabriel, tears welling behind his eyes again in a mixture of hurt and anger. 

“What is your problem?” Hissed Lucifer. “Why do you keep twisting my words? If you’re that bothered by this idiotic alpha, just get a new job somewhere else. It’s not rocket science.”

“Right, ‘cos it’s that easy,” snarled Gabriel, shoving at Lucifer’s chest again because he was desperate to throw his fists at something. “It’s that easy for a pathetic orphan, whose parents never got around to writing a will and whose new carers stole what little he owned to line their own pockets, to be offered a job cleaning a bar and somehow work his way up over years of practically slave labour into such a high position, only to be fired because he has a vagina instead of a knot.” His voice cracked and he pushed at Lucifer’s chest again.

This time, the alpha grabbed his wrists and manhandled him into the cubicle, pinning him against the wall with a fierce snarl.

“Stop that,” he whispered dangerously and Gabriel wasn’t sure whether he wanted to punch Lucifer or be punched by him. Anything to stop the pain in his heart.

“You have no idea what it’s like,” breathed Gabriel, eyes red from crying. “You have no idea what it’s like to have everything; to have wealth and a big home and a loving family, only for it to all be ripped away from you in one night. One night and I lost my whole life! I was sixteen. I had no home to live in because it had turned to ash and there was no will. I had managed to save a few thousand dollars in my bank account for college, but the staff at the orphanage took care of that. Said I wouldn’t need it and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.

“The second my friends heard I had no money and no parents, they ditched me. Told me they couldn’t be seen hanging out with the ‘sad orphan’. Even my girlfriend left me. Kali. Said I was no longer the high standard she deserved.”

Gabriel couldn’t meet Lucifer’s gaze. He didn’t want the alpha to see any more of his flowing tears.

“I got that job all on my own. One of the bartenders saw me searching for a way to earn money and said they’d pay me three dollars for every hour I spent cleaning the bar. I couldn’t get anything else so I took it. I spent more and more time at the bar until eventually they had me waiting tables. When I got a little older, they let me serve behind the bar for minimum wage. Then one busy night, one of the chefs fell ill and they needed someone to take his place. I said I knew a bit about cooking and they were so desperate they let me fill in. I managed to impress them and they moved me to the kitchen with higher pay. I got out of the orphanage and bought my own place. After that I worked my way up to head chef.”

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut. “Now they’re firing me.” His voice choked off in a sob and he no longer cared what Lucifer did to him. He was obviously worthless. Useless at everything and destined to live a life of misery and misfortune because he’d had it too good to start off with. Maybe he really was incompetent.

Lucifer was silent for a few moments before he slowly released Gabriel. He said nothing though as he took a step back and Gabriel glanced at him, waiting for him to comment about something, anything. Afterall, he’d just poured his life story out to this alpha; there had to be some sort of reaction, even if it was disgust or distaste.

Yet Lucifer merely continued to stare at him in silence.

“Say something,” huffed Gabriel. He didn’t know what he wanted the alpha to say.

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow but when Gabriel frowned, the alpha shrugged awkwardly. 

“Just… get a new job,” he replied and suddenly, Gabriel wanted to punch Lucifer in the jaw.

“You are so emotionless!” He spat. “You’re a cruel, unfeeling, stone-hearted monster! I pour my heart out to you and all you can say is ‘get a new job’?” The omega scoffed bitterly. “You don’t care. You’ve never cared about anyone other than yourself in your life; what on earth made me believe you might care the slightest bit about me? I’m clearly not the least bit important to you.”

Lucifer scowled. “Of course I care,” he snapped and Gabriel growled loudly at him.

“Then act like it!”

“I don’t know how!” Yelled Lucifer and Gabriel quickly snapped his jaw shut. The alpha sighed wearily.

“I don’t know how to prove I care,” he said again. “Nobody’s ever shown me how. My parents told me I was an alpha so that meant I shouldn’t need anyone else to comfort or care for me. I was expected to give it but not receive it. Except, because nobody ever showed me, I never learned how to give it either.”

Lucifer wouldn’t meet his gaze and Gabriel felt all the pent-up fury and hurt drain out of him. Guilt quickly seeped into his mind when he noticed the alpha’s embarrassed expression.

He’d just yelled at Lucifer for something he didn’t know how to do. How great was he?

“I care,” murmured Lucifer. “I just… can’t show you.”

Gabriel realised he no longer wanted to fight or release his rage through his fists.

He just wanted a hug.

“…Hold me, Lucifer,” whispered Gabriel, gaze on the floor and the alpha slowly glanced up at him in confusion.

“You said you don’t know how to show you care; how to prove you’re sympathetic. Well, I’m teaching you. Hold me,” huffed Gabriel and the alpha blinked in surprise before cautiously stepping over to the omega.

He was hesitant, unsure what was expected of him and Gabe rolled his eyes and tugged him closer, wrapping his arms around his back as he pressed his face into the alpha’s neck.

His soul fluttered and gently leaned towards Lucifer and Gabriel blinked when he felt it. He was surprised he hadn’t noticed it earlier but now he was paying attention to his surroundings rather than his frustration, he realised the sensation was actually quite pleasant.

He felt a small smile tugging at his lips when Lucifer carefully wound his arms around him and the omega found himself beginning to relax. Had Lucifer always smelled this good? Like roasted chestnuts and sea salt. 

Gabriel pressed his nose a little deeper into the alpha’s neck to get a stronger whiff of that comforting scent. He closed his eyes when Lucifer held him tighter. The alpha was so tall and strong; Gabriel felt oddly safe.

“You smell amazing,” he murmured into the alpha’s neck, which Gabriel had only just realised, but Lucifer was bending down fractionally for him to reach.

Lucifer offered no verbal response, but he did tilt his head to one side so Gabriel could have better access to his neck.

After a few moments, Lucifer gingerly tangled his fingers into Gabriel’s hair and the omega couldn’t help but nuzzle his neck in encouragement.

Lucifer’s eyebrows shot to his hairline, but Gabe couldn’t see it and the alpha gently rearranged them both until Gabriel had his nose pressed into Lucifer’s throat as the alpha rested his chin on his head, their arms wound around one another.

Gabriel smiled softly. “Now you’re getting it.”

Lucifer remained quiet as they held each other but after a little while, he began to stroke Gabriel’s scalp with the fingers that were tangled in his hair.

“…You’re not incompetent and they’re wrong to say you have a poor work ethic. Like you said, you’ve worked hard to get where you are. They have no right to say otherwise,” murmured Lucifer, a little unsure as to whether he was saying the right things.

Gabriel snuggled further into him and Lucifer’s confidence blossomed a bit more. 

“What does he know? He’s probably never made an honest living in his life. Everything’s been handed down to him by family members. He wouldn’t know hard work and love of a job if someone beat it into him with a stick.”

Gabriel quirked a watery smile. He liked this softer side of Lucifer. This side of the alpha that tried to be kind, tried to help those around him.

“Your friends and that girl were idiots to ditch you,” whispered Lucifer. “It was their loss, not yours. You’re an intelligent, fun and talented omega, and anyone who thinks wealth is more important than that doesn’t deserve friends.”

Gabriel’s heart melted and he squeezed the alpha in appreciation, nuzzling his throat as he did so.

“…And stop listening to my family’s cruel comments. Castiel was correct; they insult you because they can’t keep up with your quick wit,” huffed Lucifer before tentatively leaning down to nose at the omega’s hair. “You’re not ‘fat’ or ‘ugly’. I… I actually think you’re rather beautiful.”

Gabriel’s eyes blew wide. That was… unexpected. He hadn’t thought Lucifer saw him as attractive in any way. Maybe he’d been wrong?

“I… I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to say,” mumbled Lucifer embarrassedly and Gabriel’s gaze softened as his heart did something funny in his chest.

“You’ve said enough,” he whispered. “Far more than I deserve after yelling at you. I’m sorry for shouting and pushing you. You didn’t do anything wrong; I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you.”

Lucifer was quiet for a few moments before he gently squeezed the omega. “…Mates are supposed to support each other, through the good times and the bad.”

Gabriel’s soul suddenly jerked towards Lucifer and if the alpha’s quiet gasp was anything to go by, he’d felt it too.

Gabriel released a shaky breath. What did that mean?

Lucifer pulled away and Gabriel found himself missing the contact. The alpha cleared his throat awkwardly and refused to look at the omega.

“Maybe we should return to our table. Our food is probably cold by now and the staff may think we’re trying to find a way out of payment.”

Gabriel nodded slowly. His soul wasn’t happy they’d moved apart; it was trying to find a way back to the alpha. Eventually it settled again.

Just as the pair were exiting the lavatory, a male beta walked in and Gabriel decided that it really was a good idea to leave. He kept his head down to hide the fact he’d been crying. They settled into their seats and continued with their cold meal.

Gabriel began to wonder what he should do now he had no job. Where did he go from here? 

He vowed to scour the papers for something in the morning.

 

* * *

 

Lucifer frowned at his wall. It was Saturday morning and the alpha couldn’t help but think about his and Gabriel’s conversation from the previous evening. It had disturbed him to see the usually feisty omega so upset; he didn’t like it when Gabriel cried. The omega was supposed to be happy and snarky and funny, not depressed and heartbroken.

It made his chest ache to think about all Gabriel had faced. The omega had been a little like him once; wealthy with a big house, yet it had all been taken away from him in the blink of an eye. He had lost everything and then his supposed friends and girl had left him because they didn’t want to be associated with a _poor orphan_. 

Lucifer pulled a face. Would his friends leave him if that ever happened to him? Would they not want to associate with him anymore if he lost his money and family? As he thought about Dick and Lilith and a few others, he realised the answer was most probably ‘yes’.

He scowled. Was he not exactly like the nephew who owned Gabriel’s restaurant? Had his job not been handed down from his family? Had he not received all of his money from them? Gabriel was right; if Lucifer did nothing but put his feet up on his desk all day, his father would still pay him the same wage. Anyone else would get fired, but his parents just wanted to keep the money in the family. He had never worked his way up to his high position within the company; his father had just offered it to him.

And he’d always believed omegas shouldn’t be in the work place. He’d always thought they should stay at home, like the rest of his family did. Granted, he’d never fired anyone simply for being an omega, but that was probably because his father didn’t hire any omegas in the first place.

Gabriel had worked extremely hard to get to where he was and he enjoyed being a chef. He enjoyed getting up every morning and socialising with his colleagues and cooking meals for the guests he chatted to whenever he could. He loved his profession. What right did someone like Lucifer, who had never put any effort into work and who hated showing up, have to take all that away from Gabriel? How was that fair that someone like him could ruin Gabriel’s life because they were an alpha and he was an omega?

His mouth drew into a thin line. Gabriel couldn’t even do anything about it because everyone knew the courts would rule in the alpha’s favour.

Well, if Gabriel couldn’t argue with this alpha, Lucifer would just have to step in on his behalf.

Let’s see this nephew try to hold his own against another rich, powerful, hot-headed, prejudiced, alpha brute. 

Mind made up, Lucifer grabbed his keys and paced to his car, the restaurant his final destination. He was determined to have a nice ‘chat’ with this new owner.

If he had his way, Gabriel would have his job back before afternoon rolled around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit more Lubriel since you guys seem to enjoy it so much!


	26. Free at last

There was a knock at his window and Castiel felt a grin crawl over his face as he turned to find Dean waving at him through the glass. The alpha quickly opened the window and Dean swung his legs into the room, kissing Cas softly on the lips in greeting. 

“I feel as though our roles have reversed,” hummed Cas as he closed the window. “Isn’t it supposed to be me climbing through your window?”

Dean shot him a grin. “Now it’s my turn to break into your house.”

“I suppose it's about time Rapunzel came to rescue the Prince,” teased Castiel, making Dean stick his tongue out. The omega had come to visit him every day this week whilst they’d been off from school. “Would you like anything to drink? Or eat? There’s still a couple of bags of chocolate from my birthday in that drawer. Help yourself.”

“A coke would be great,” said Dean. “Thanks.”

The alpha nodded and wandered downstairs, being careful to keep out of his parents’ ways. He returned to his room to find Dean lounging on his bed, hands laced over his stomach and legs crossed lazily.

“I think I have an emotional attachment to this bed,” the omega hummed and Cas quirked an eyebrow as he placed Dean’s drink next to his. He moved around the other side of the bed and lowered himself onto it, rolling onto his side before wrapping his arm around Dean contentedly.

“Why’s that?” He asked with a small smile and Dean rolled over to snuggle closer.

“I think you know why,” he murmured with a smirk and Castiel stole another kiss.

“I have no idea why you would be in any way fond of this bed.”

Dean growled playfully and pushed the alpha onto his back, shifting to straddle him and pin his hands above his head as he peppered kisses over Cas’ face.

Castiel didn’t put up much resistance. In fact, he looked quite happy trapped underneath Dean.

He rumbled joyfully and Dean chuckled.

“I’ve never known an alpha to rumble half as much as you do.”

Cas smiled lopsidedly. “You make me very happy,” he said simply and Dean glanced away, humbled. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to Cas’ easy compliments.

“Yeah, well… you make me happy too,” mumbled Dean and the alpha beamed. His smile was contagious and soon, Dean was grinning with him before groaning exaggeratedly as he flopped onto Cas’ chest.

“You’re turning me into a walking chick flick,” he huffed as he buried his face into the other boy’s neck. “Stop moulding me into a giant sap.”

Castiel chuckled quietly and curled his arms around his friend. 

“You love chick flicks.”

Dean quirked a grin but offered no reply as he scented at Castiel’s neck. He felt so relaxed and complete here. He adored being held by the alpha; it made him feel safe and wanted.

“You even cried at Bridget Jones’ Diary,” murmured Cas and Dean thumped him lightly on the shoulder.

“Shut up. It was warm that day; my eyes were sweating.”

Cas smiled and pressed his lips to the omega’s cheek and Dean turned slightly to let their mouths meet in a tender kiss.

“Can you play something for me?” Asked Dean quietly and Cas raised an eyebrow.

“I like hearing you play,” shrugged Dean. “You’re very talented.”

Cas’ face lit up. Dean was excellent at making people feel good about themselves.

“How about I teach you something?” Suggested Cas. “I could show you how to play the beginning of _Bohemian Rhapsody_?”

Dean looked rather excited at the idea. “You think I could do something like that?”

“Of course. You’re very bright; you’ll learn it quickly,” chuckled Cas, unable to help himself from brushing his knuckles over the omega’s cheek in awe. He couldn’t believe Dean was his. This fun, gorgeous, intelligent omega belonged to him.

Dean captured the alpha’s lips again. They both seemed to have a bit of an obsession with each other’s mouths.

When they parted, Cas gently pushed Dean off him and led him towards the piano. They sat side-by-side on the long stool and Castiel taught the omega how to play Queen’s best-selling hit. It took over an hour but after lots of wrong notes, a few laughs and some sneaky kisses, Dean could play half the song, up to the guitar solo (which Cas proved he could play on piano and Dean thought it sounded awesome).

Eventually, their brief, sneaky kisses turned into long, heated ones and at one point, they lost interest in the piano altogether in favour of tasting each other’s lips.

The room was quiet as they explored each other’s mouths, but sitting on a stool made the angle awkward so Dean stood and pulled his friend to the bed again, pushing him against the mattress as their kisses grew more passionate.

Hands slipped underneath Castiel’s shirt and fluttered over his sides and the alpha slid his tongue over Dean’s as he pushed his hands up the omega’s shirt and splayed them over his back. He enjoyed touching Dean; it made their souls try to leap at one another and that was a breathtaking feeling. To know someone needed you just as much as you needed them was incredibly fulfilling.

Dean pressed his lips to Castiel’s throat and the alpha easily bared it to him, smiling when the omega sucked and nipped at the flesh, scraping his teeth over it lightly. Cas would be very happy to be marked by Dean if that’s what the omega wanted.

He tangled his fingers in Dean’s hair because he knew the omega secretly liked it and he was rewarded with a nip to his jaw. He nuzzled Dean’s cheek, smiling at the light scratch of stubble against his skin, and the omega shifted to claim his lips once more.

Hands slid over his chest as if trying to touch every part of him, mark him as the omega’s and Cas quickly decided he was wearing too many layers. He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it somewhere to his right and Dean released a hum of approval as he leaned down to trail kisses over his chest.

Cas petted the omega’s hair adoringly, hypnotised by its fluffiness, before pawing at Dean’s shirt. Dean quickly got the hint and tugged his own shirt off, smiling at the way Cas’ hands immediately smoothed over his back and sides, marvelling at his tanned skin.

Dean suddenly smirked and lapped at the alpha’s nipple and Cas’ breath hitched before Dean began to suck and nip at the little nub. The alpha closed his eyes with a soft groan and Dean’s back arched when nails scraped down his spine, setting his nerves alight.

Dean moved onto the other nipple and Cas moaned quietly again. He hauled Dean upwards so their mouths could meet as their bodies pressed flush with one another and he shifted to kiss and nip at the omega’s neck once they parted for air.

Dean smelled wonderful. He couldn’t get enough of that sweet and spicy concoction and Dean was all too eager to bare his throat for him. The omega was giving off a strong scent of contentedness and Castiel grinned because he’d done that; he’d made Dean happy and there was no better feeling in the world than knowing he could make his friend produce that amazing smell.

Dean had relaxed on top of him, enjoying Cas’ worship of his neck and throat and the alpha got a calculating gleam in his eyes as he smirked.

Dean gasped in surprise when Cas switched their positions, huffing out a laugh when the alpha flopped on top of him and peppered his face with a myriad of loud, sloppy kisses.

Eventually, their silliness faded as they locked lips again and they resumed exploring each other’s skin with curious fingers.

Cas thought he’d give Dean a taste of his own medicine and rubbed both thumbs over the omega’s nipples. Dean’s breath caught and Cas did it again, pinching them teasingly until Dean’s hand wormed its way under his waistband and squeezed at his rear.

Aroused, Cas nipped at the omega’s lip and Dean began to massage the curve of his rump, smirking when the alpha released an interested rumble.

Castiel rocked his hips against Dean’s, pleased when he felt the omega’s erection mirroring his own. 

Dean groaned softly when Cas began to rut against him and the alpha didn’t miss the way he arched into him, seeking more friction.

Enjoying the view of Dean’s aroused expression, one of Cas’ hands slid down the omega’s body to cup at his hardness. Dean’s breathing quickened slightly when he began to rub slowly over the growing bulge and the omega caught Cas off-guard when he undid his pants.

Cas let out a groan of his own when Dean palmed at the front of his underwear. It wasn’t long before the omega pulled Cas’ stiff length free of the fabric and began to work it.

Cas crushed their lips together, all teeth and tongues and smoldering heat and he quickly unzipped Dean’s jeans.

Dean paused for a fraction of a second, but soon he was kissing Cas with as much passion as he could muster, hand doing incredible things to the alpha’s hardness. 

Cas had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Dean right now. He had never made love before and he knew Dean hadn’t either, and it excited him to think they would be each other’s firsts. He wanted to claim Dean as his, watch the omega fall apart beneath him as his knot locked them both together. He wanted to hold the omega close as they were tied together for twenty minutes; pepper kisses over his face and worship his body as he came down from his orgasm. He just wanted his omega.

“Mine,” whispered Cas as he pulled Dean’s jeans down and the omega nipped at his lip in approval of the claim.

“Yours,” he agreed without hesitation and Cas’ soul soared.

He stroked the omega through his boxers and once again, Dean paused briefly before he continued pleasuring Castiel.

Cas freed Dean of his boxers and this time, Dean’s pause was a little longer. Still, he continued stroking the alpha.

With a happy rumble, Cas gasped Dean’s erection, fondling it and teasing at it.

Dean hesitated, a soft frown creasing his brow, before the expression was gone again and he was smiling and kissing Cas heatedly.

“You’re so beautiful,” breathed Cas as he stroked Dean. “I can’t believe I get to touch you like this. You have no idea how happy you make me; how much I need you.”

Dean said nothing, merely kissing the alpha a little harder.

“I want you,” Cas whispered. “I want to see you come apart in my arms. I want to see you bask in pleasure. I want to hold you close and kiss you as my knot ties us together. I just want you.”

Cas was confused by the nervous look that flashed behind the omega’s eyes, but Dean quickly covered it up with a bright smile.

“I want you too,” he murmured, but the tone was off, flat and lacking the passion that usually came so natural to the omega.

Cas frowned slightly, puzzled. “…Are you sure?” He murmured and there was that brief nervousness again before Dean grinned.

“Knot me, Cas,” he whispered and Cas’ frown deepened because there was definitely something wrong with that tone.

Cas’ movements slowed. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” He asked, concerned and there was no mistaking Dean’s hesitation this time.

“I want to be yours,” he nodded, smile not quite reaching his eyes and Cas pulled away, gently stopping Dean’s hand and tangling their fingers together to prevent the omega from reaching for him again.

“What’s wrong?” Cas asked in confusion. “Are you nervous?”

A guilty expression touched Dean’s face before it was gone.

“I’m fine. Really. I want this, I do.”

Cas frowned. “You don’t,” he stated bluntly. Then his gaze softened. “Dean, just tell me. I won’t be angry, I promise. Say if you’re nervous.”

Dean averted his gaze. “I… I’ve never… I’ve never done this before,” he admitted and Cas tilted his head because he already knew that and surely Dean couldn’t be afraid of… underperforming or something equally as ridiculous?

“Neither have I,” murmured Cas, squeezing the omega’s hand in encouragement.

Dean shook his head. “That’s not…” He trailed off and sighed. “My Shift was excruciatingly painful. Every second was unbearable agony. I… I don’t want to go through that again. I’m worried using that… part of me will bring back that pain.” Dean closed his eyes in embarrassment. “It’s stupid, I know, but I just… every time I try to go near there, I chicken out because I’m afraid of the pain.”

Cas’ eyes widened in understanding and he quickly tucked himself in and zipped everything up before pulling a confused Dean into his chest. He carefully tucked Dean back in and redid his jeans before wrapping his arms around the omega.

“It’s not stupid at all,” reassured Cas as he nuzzled the omega’s cheek. “We don’t have to do anything until you’re ready and even then, you’re going to tell me what you’re comfortable with. If you did ever want to try anything, know that I’ll always be gentle. I never want to hurt you, Dean. Never. I only wanted to make you feel as good as you make me feel.”

Dean hid his face in Cas’ neck, cheeks flushed pink.

“You do make me feel good, Cas. More than you’ll ever know. You’re the kindest, most patient and affectionate alpha I’ve ever met. I just wish I wasn’t so pathetic.”

Cas scowled. “You’re not pathetic. There is nothing to be ashamed of. After what you had to face, it’s no wonder you’re nervous about touching down there. Male omega shifts are always painful, but yours was more painful than most because you presented late. It’s incredible you got through that. I know many people who would never be able to endure what you were forced to.”

He placed a soft kiss to Dean’s temple. “There’s no need to rush anything between us. We have all the time in the world to explore.”

Dean was still embarrassed but he wasn’t as tense anymore so Cas counted it as a win.

“It doesn’t mean I can’t get you off,” murmured Dean, gesturing to the lingering bulge in Cas’ pants. “I can do anything you want me to. I can use my mouth if you want? It might feel a little similar if you still want to pop a knot.”

“Dean,” huffed Cas with a small frown. “I’m not using you as a sex toy. The only reason I wanted to knot you is because I wanted you to enjoy it too. I’ve survived for eighteen years without knotting anyone, I think I’ll live.”

Dean cast his gaze to the floor and Cas rolled his eyes. “I want you because of your shining personality and kind heart, not because of your various holes.”

Dean snorted and Cas tilted his chin up for a gentle kiss.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Dean, emerald eyes tainted with shame and Cas shook his head.

“You have no need to be.” He kissed the omega again. “I just want you to be happy and comfortable with me.”

Dean quirked a small smile before cuddling into Cas’ chest and wrapping his arms around the alpha.

“I guess I’m still kinda wary after Crowley touched me during my Shift,” mused Dean idly.

Suddenly Cas snarled loudly and Dean startled. 

“Apologies,” Cas grimaced. “I didn’t intend to do that. Hearing his name sets me a little on edge.”

Dean cocked an eyebrow. “…Are you… _jealous_?”

A guilty look crossed Cas’ face before he scowled. “Wait. He touched you during your Shift? Even though he knew you were in so much pain?”

Dean shrugged, a little forcedly. “Things got heated between us and I suppose he forgot.”

Cas snarled again and Dean’s eyebrows jumped to his hairline.

“Apologies again,” mumbled Cas, looking ashamed of himself. “It appears I don’t like hearing about the more... intimate side of your relationship with Crowley.”

A grin began to worm its way across Dean’s face.

“Although he did try to kill us,” huffed Cas. “And now I find he hurt you despite knowing how much agony you were already being put through. He doesn’t appear to have many redeeming qualities.”

Dean bit back a laugh at the petulant tone.

“You _are_ jealous,” he smirked and Cas frowned.

“How can I be jealous over a man who pointed a gun at us and hurt you? I may be angry at Crowley but I’m not jealous. Besides, I’ve got you now, not him.”

Dean laughed quietly. “You are definitely jealous!”

“I am not,” huffed Cas and Dean raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? So I suppose you won’t mind me telling you about the time he pinned me against the wall and- ”

Dean was cut off by Cas’ lips smashing into his, a deep, possessive growl thundering from the alpha’s chest.

“You’re mine,” hissed Cas and Dean grinned in amusement when they parted.

“Not jealous, huh?” He smirked and Cas’ eyes widened in a deer-caught-in-headlights expression. The alpha lowered his gaze.

“…Maybe I’m a little jealous.” He frowned. “And I don’t like that he hurt you.”

Dean snickered then nosed at Cas’ throat in the picture of omega submissiveness. 

“I’m yours, alpha. Nobody else’s.”

Cas rumbled in approval and pulled the omega into his lap to nip at his throat in playful scolding.

“Thought you didn’t like acting out the part of the stereotypical, submissive omega?” Huffed Castiel and Dean smiled softly.

“Think of it as an apology for getting you riled up.”

“Apology accepted,” grunted Cas before pinning the omega to the bed.

Dean growled playfully and Cas nipped at his neck in gentle reprimand. Just as he was thinking of working out how many ticklish spots Dean had, the omega went stiff beneath him.

Worried that Dean had taken his nip to be an actual punishment, he kissed the omega’s temple.

“I didn’t mean any harm. I was just teasing.”

The omega had turned pale and Cas’ brow creased in confusion. “Dean?”

“ _’Dean’?_ ” Hissed a voice that made Cas go cold. He whipped his head around to find Naomi and Zachariah glaring furiously at the pair of them.

“Dean Winchester?” Hissed Naomi, fire in her eyes. “The same Dean who publicly humiliated you; who growled and hit you?”

Cas’ jaw opened and closed but no words were forthcoming. Dean winced in shame.

“What are you doing in our house, boy?” Growled Zachariah lowly and Dean gulped.

“I came to see Cas,” he murmured and this only seemed to anger Zachariah more. 

“So you could what? Start a brawl? Ridicule him?” The older alpha’s gaze flicked over their compromising position in disgust. “Molest him?”

Cas frowned. “We’re soulmates.” Surely that would explain what Dean was doing here?

“He’s a violent, idiotic brat,” bit out Naomi. “Who broke into our house and is about to be arrested by the police.”

Cas scowled as Dean’s eyes widened.

“He’s a strong-willed, intelligent omega who I let climb through my window. And he is not about to be arrested by the police.”

Zachariah curled his lip up in distaste. “Don’t tell me you continued to pursue this aggressive, deformed freak? If I’d have known he looked like a knotless alpha I would never have asked you to mate him in the first place. You can’t seriously think this misfit is a suitable mate? He probably can’t even bare children. Who wants an omega with all that muscle?”

Cas growled lowly when he spotted the flicker of hurt that crossed Dean’s face. He wasn’t about to let his parents get away with offending his soulmate. 

“I have no idea why anyone would want to court a strong, handsome, brave, protective omega who can hold his own in a fight, yet showers those he cares for with more love and affection than anyone has ever shown him and always puts his friends’ needs above his own. It’s disgraceful to think anyone would ever desire a mate like that,” Cas said drily.

Zachariah’s eyes flared with anger and he narrowed them dangerously.

“Is this the reason why you’ve been behaving so inappropriately these past months? Is he the one who’s turned you into such a rebellious brat?” He paused as a thought struck him. “Is he the one who got you interested in drugs?”

Cas scowled and opened his mouth to tell his father exactly why his behaviour was so ‘inappropriate’, when Dean quickly cut in.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m the one who got into trouble with drugs, not Cas. I asked him to cover for me because I needed to find a way to get the money.”

Cas’ head whipped around to stare at Dean in shock as his parents’ expressions darkened. Dean gently pushed the alpha off him as he sat up, staring hard at his feet in apparent shame.

“Boss said he’d cut me up if I didn’t pay up and I knew Cas had money so I asked him if he could give me some. Your son was never involved with drugs; it was me. He just said he was because I asked him for money and he thought you’d pay.”

“Dean- ”

“No, Cas. You don’t have to keep covering for me. This… this is my mess. I’ve got you into enough trouble and it’s time I came clean. In more ways than one.” Dean’s head hung low in humiliation and Cas had never realised the other boy could be such a convincing actor.

“I’m sorry, Mister and Misses Novak. I never meant to ruin your relationship with your son. I just… I needed the money and I’m ashamed to say I thought I could use Cas to get it,” murmured Dean.

Naomi and Zachariah didn’t look very sympathetic. In fact, they looked more furious than ever.

“So not only have you physically and verbally abused our son, you’ve now psychologically abused him by forcing him into feeling sorry for you and giving you money? Is that why you’re with him? Is that why you’re suddenly all over him; molesting and groping him? You’ve tricked him into feeling something for you; some sense of loyalty or affection for you so you can emotionally manipulate him into giving you things you want?” Snarled Zachariah.

Dean frowned. “I’ve not tricked him into feeling anything. I do care for your son. If he chooses to care for me then I’m honoured, but I’ve not forced him into it.”

“Dean,” Cas tried again, but the omega shot him a pointed look for him to keep his mouth shut.

Naomi curled her lip in disgust as Zachariah glared at Dean.

“Get out of my house, omega,” growled Zachariah, but Cas wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist with a scowl. He was surprised when Dean gently pushed him away and stood up.

“Yes, Sir,” he murmured quietly as he picked up his creased shirt and shuffled past them. He paused at Castiel’s door.

“Sorry for getting you into trouble, Cas,” he mumbled sincerely before disappearing down the stairs, leaving Cas to stare after him in a stunned stupor. What had just happened?

Naomi’s gaze softened into something a little more sympathetic and she padded over to Castiel, sitting beside him on the bed.

“Was he telling the truth? Were you really just trying to protect him? Was it Dean who was involved with the drugs and you just told us you were so you could get the money?”

Cas wanted to say no. He wanted to tell them he had no idea why Dean had made up that story, but as he saw his father’s glare fade into a look of concern, he suddenly realised why Dean had done what he had.

He nodded hesitantly and Naomi sighed as she carefully wrapped placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You are far too kind for your own good,” she murmured. “You have no reason to protect that boy, Castiel. He’s trouble and you shouldn’t be helping him out of the messes he keeps creating. I don’t know what made you want a relationship with him, but if he’s forcing you into this, tell us and we’ll sort him out.”

Castiel shook his head. “He’s not forcing me,” he said quietly. “I really do like him.”

Zachariah huffed. “Well, he’s a bad influence on you. I don’t want you seeing him anymore.” The older alpha shook his head. “I can’t believe he made you lie to us about the drugs. The nerve of that omega.”

Naomi nodded as she glanced at her son. “We’re sorry, Castiel. We should have known you would never get into such repulsive business. We were just so upset. Afterall, you did steal the car and you have been a lot more contradictory than usual.”

Cas frowned as Zachariah spoke up. “You shouldn’t have lied to us, boy,” he said sternly. “You shouldn’t lie to your parents, but since you were trying to help someone, I can’t be too angry at you. However, I don’t want you making contact with that filthy Winchester again. Next thing you know, he’ll be trying to get you addicted too. He’s psychologically broken; twisted and tainted in his mind. He’s made it quite clear he doesn’t want you, but the second he needs money, he’s batting his eyelids and touching you. He’s obviously using you and you need to see that.”

“You don’t need him, Dear,” murmured Naomi. “He’s poison. Just let him suffer the consequences of his actions and find someone who is worthy of your affection.”

Cas’ scowl deepened but he said nothing. He knew Dean’s reasoning for what he’d said; Cas’ parents already hated Dean from the start. Might as well blame him for the whole drug fiasco so Castiel’s house arrest could end and the alpha wouldn’t be subject to his parents’ ire. Still, it didn’t mean he enjoyed having to listen to his parents bad-mouth Dean.

He wisely kept his mouth shut though. No point in ruining Dean’s effort to get him out of trouble. It’s not as though he was going to listen to any of their advice anyway. 

“Yes, Mother,” he mumbled obediently and Naomi smiled at him. 

“Good boy,” huffed Zachariah. “I suppose it goes without saying that you’re no longer grounded. Just make sure you tell the truth next time. Then there won’t be any more mishaps between us.”

“Yes, Father,” he replied blandly. His parents nodded in satisfaction and strolled towards his door.

“Go out and enjoy the sunshine, son,” called Zachariah as they left his room and Castiel waited all of twenty seconds for them to disappear downstairs before throwing his shirt on, sprinting out of his room, flying through the front door and spotting Dean leaning casually against the side of the house.

The omega waved cheerily at him and Cas ran over, sweeping him into a hug as he crushed their mouths together.

Dean laughed. “I take it you’re on probation?”

Cas shook his head. “Thanks to you, I’m free. I’m not supposed to talk to you though.”

“Then don’t talk,” smirked Dean as he dragged the alpha in for a deep kiss.

 

* * *

 

“Wait, what? You’re just… giving me my job back?” Asked Gabriel, stunned.

The voice on the other end of the line murmured something in agreement before stating it was sorry for the mistake and it had never meant to fire Gabriel in the first place; someone else had a similar name and it was him who should have been sacked, not Gabriel.

Gabriel knew that was a bare-faced lie. There was no one else in the restaurant who had the name ‘Gabriel’ or anything that sounded remotely like ‘Speight’. 

“Oh, I see,” Gabriel replied, utterly perplexed. He’d only been fired two days ago.

The voice asked him if he would be willing to start back again next week, his records wiped clean of the misunderstanding so it looked as though he had never been fired at all.

“Sure,” said Gabriel, dumbfounded. Had he basically just been granted a week’s holiday?

The voice sounded relieved when it told him it would see him next Monday.

“Can I ask what brought this… _mistake_ to your attention?” Frowned Gabriel in confusion. What on Earth could make this man change his mind when he’d originally been so repulsed by the idea of having an omega work as his head chef?

The voice replied that one of Gabriel’s friends had visited him and informed him that the omega was upset and they both worked out there had been an error. 

Gabriel frowned. He hadn’t told any of his friends what had happened yet; he hadn’t had time because he’d been searching for a new job. Meg, Mick and Gadreel were his closest friends and they didn’t know either. The only person he’d told was-

He blinked. 

“Sorry, what did this person look like?” He asked and the voice replied that he was over six feet tall, blue eyes, blond hair, had a lazy drawl and was an alpha.

Gabriel’s heart fluttered. Then his soul pulsed joyfully as a smile slowly crawled over his face.

“Ah, right. Thank you,” he murmured. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

The voice muttered something in acknowledgement before the line went dead.

Gabriel stared at his phone with a stupid grin lighting his face. He couldn’t believe Lucifer had gone to all that effort to get his job back for him.

What had the alpha said to make his boss change his mind?

Gabriel would have to ask him. He would also have to thank the alpha. He was still having a hard time believing Lucifer had done all this for him without him knowing. He’d never had anyone go out of their way like that for him; it was making his chest all warm and light.

He would be visiting Lucifer for dinner on Wednesday. He would thank him properly then.

With a bright smile, he threw his phone somewhere to his side and flicked the TV on. He was determined to enjoy this unscheduled holiday.

Maybe he could enjoy it with Lucifer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Destiel in this chapter because the next one will be purely Lubriel. :) Hope you enjoyed!


	27. Compromise

It was Wednesday and Lucifer couldn’t deny his excitement about seeing Gabriel this evening. He didn’t show it very well, but if anyone cared to look they would see his trademark smirk was a little more sincere than usual and his eyes were bright with anticipation. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was so excited but he had a feeling it was something to do with wanting to see the omega happy that he’d got his job back after being so upset last time they’d spoken.

The doorbell rang and Lucifer made sure to be the one to open it. The moment Gabriel saw him, a smile swept over his face and his eyes sparkled with gratitude and Lucifer realised Gabriel knew who’d got him his job back despite the alpha not giving his name to the omega’s boss. 

“Come in,” murmured Lucifer, heart doing something strange at the omega’s shining eyes. Had they always been that golden?

Gabriel grinned and stepped into the house, taking his jacket off. As Lucifer took it from him, the omega opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly snapped it shut when Raphael paced into the hallway, shooting Gabriel a scowl of distaste before glancing blankly at his brother.

“Mother wants us around the table, now your omega’s finally here.”

Lucifer frowned reproachfully but Raphael either didn’t see it or didn’t care for he turned swiftly on his heel and left the room.

Lucifer glanced apologetically to Gabriel but the omega merely offered him a small smile.

“Shall we?” He asked softly and Lucifer nodded a little disappointedly. He had wanted to chat with Gabriel for a while first.

However, the alpha gestured towards the dining room, allowing Gabriel to lead the way as he trailed him in.

As soon as they sat down, the comments started.

“Didn’t you ever learn how to read a clock, omega?” Huffed Zachariah. “You’re late.”

Lucifer’s mouth drew into a thin line. Why couldn’t they just have one meal where nobody insulted Gabriel and the omega didn’t start an argument? Honestly, what did it matter if Gabriel was ten minutes late? 

“Sorry, Sir,” murmured Gabriel. “I got held up by a bit of traffic. It won’t happen again.”

Lucifer paused. It wasn’t like Gabriel to sound so… subdued around his family. And since when didn’t he have a snappy comeback at the tip of his tongue?

He shrugged it off. That just meant a more peaceful meal.

“Well, you clearly weren’t held up by getting dressed,” sneered Raphael. “Did you make that outfit yourself?” He glanced over Gabriel’s jeans and shirt in disdain.

Lucifer thought Gabriel looked quite nice. His black jeans were obviously new; the colour not worn by washing and the silver thread pattern over the pockets was eye-catching without being too flashy. His shirt was a simple yet rich red. He couldn’t see anything wrong with Gabriel’s attire.

Lucifer’s eyes widened when Gabriel merely offered the other alpha a small smile before lowering his gaze.

He didn’t have long to dwell on the odd exchange however, because Naomi wandered in with the first couple of plates.

Tonight, Michael and Anna were visiting, but Castiel had disappeared to a friend’s for his evening meal. He hadn’t explained who the friend was, but Lucifer had no doubt it was Dean.

Once Naomi had taken her seat, the family began to chat, making sure to never include Anna or Gabriel in the conversation, as usual.

Michael seemed to think this was perfectly acceptable but for the first time ever, Lucifer was uncomfortable at watching his family purposefully exclude the omegas in the room. He had never really noticed it before, but Anna looked incredibly lonely in that far corner, eating her meal silently with her gaze lowered. Michael was her mate; why wasn’t he keeping her company?

He paused. Wasn’t Gabriel usually pushing his way into the conversation by now? Or at the very least chatting to Lucifer? The omega was known for his talkativeness; something his family actively disliked.

He glanced over to the omega and raised a surprised eyebrow when he noticed Gabriel behaving in a similar manner to Anna; gaze lowered and eating silently.

There was something very wrong with seeing Gabriel like that.

“And you, Gabriel? Are you capable of bearing children?” Naomi asked half way through a conversation Lucifer hadn’t been paying attention to. The alpha thought it a rather personal question; why did his mother need to know that?

“Or are you one of those infertile male omegas?” Asked Raphael idly. “I’ve never really understood the point of male omegas. You can’t lactate because you’ve not got the correct glands, birthing children is always more risky for you than female omegas and betas, and you’re not particularly strong either, so you don’t actually benefit your children in any way. You’re probably the least useful of the sexes along with female alphas. Then again, at least if they birth children, they can lactate.” He chewed thoughtfully on his food as if he hadn’t just gravely insulted Gabriel.

Lucifer frowned in confusion when Gabriel merely offered the other alpha a polite smile.

“As far as I know, I’m able to bare children,” murmured Gabriel patiently. “Although I’ve never been tested.”

Naomi hummed disapprovingly. “You’d better get tested. My son needs an alpha to carry out the family name and I don’t want him wasting his time with an omega who can’t breed.”

“Yes, ma’am,” murmured Gabriel obediently and Lucifer was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable. Why was Gabriel just letting them speak to him like that? Why was he letting them address him as though he was merely an object for the Novak family to use? Why wasn’t he standing up for himself?

“It’s not the end of the world if we can’t have children,” mumbled Lucifer quietly, a small frown marring his features. He had the sudden urge to defend Gabriel.

Naomi raised an eyebrow. “What’s the use in an omega if they can’t fulfil their primary function?”

Lucifer pulled a face. “I doubt the sole purpose of an omega is to have children.”

Gabriel glanced at him oddly but Lucifer didn’t get a chance to question it.

“Of course it is,” huffed Naomi. “They can’t do much else, can they?”

 _‘Gabriel’s more talented than you,’_ was on the tip of Lucifer’s tongue, but he managed to restrain himself.

“I think Gabriel’s rather talented,” he said instead, missing the omega’s humbled smile.

“At what? Insulting and disrespecting us?” Sniped Michael and Lucifer’s frown deepened because all his family had done since Gabriel had walked through the door was degrade the poor omega.

Gabriel remained silent, head bowed and gaze firmly focused on his meal.

“Although, I must admit, he’s been very polite this evening,” hummed Zachariah before smiling at Lucifer. “You’ve trained him well. Congratulations. I didn’t think you’d be able to teach such a wild, uncultured animal.”

The rest of the family nodded in agreement and as Gabriel remained quiet and submissive, Lucifer suddenly lost his appetite. 

“I’ve not trained him,” scowled Lucifer as he stared at his plate. “He’s not a dog.” Why wasn’t Gabriel defending himself? Where was his usual fiery sarcasm?

“Either way, you’ve done something right. He probably just needed some firm handling, didn’t he? Someone to show him who’s in charge,” grinned Zachariah proudly, as if spousal abuse was something to smile about.

Gabriel said nothing.

Lucifer didn’t like this Gabriel. Where was the omega who wasn’t afraid to talk back to an alpha? Who was this timid, subservient, quiet man?

“Maybe you could give me some tips for when my omega steps out of line,” winked Michael, Anna smiling a little too forcedly beside him.

Lucifer stiffened. He didn’t like this conversation.

“May we be excused? I wish to talk to Gabriel in private,” he said, a touch testily.

Zachariah raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be long.”

“Gabriel,” Lucifer bit out, feeling slightly ill and without looking back to see if the omega was following, he paced out of the room.

He stormed into the living room, feeling ten kinds of wrong at what had just transpired. For the first time ever, he’d noticed cracks in Michael and Anna’s relationship and as Anna’s forced smile replayed over and over in his mind, he began to wonder if the omega was as happy as she made out to be. 

He didn’t like the implications of Michael’s words either. Had he ever raised a hand to Anna? Sweet, gentle Anna who never upset anyone? Is that why she was so shy and polite around the Novak family; because Michael had hurt her? Was Anna scared of Michael?

Did he want a relationship like that? Did Lucifer really want to be like his brother and have a mate who made out that everything was fine, when behind closed doors things were far from it? Did he want a mate who never spoke unless spoken to; who never voiced their opinions; who never stood up for themselves when they were belittled, like how Anna acted?

Like how Gabriel had been acting tonight.

Gabriel was watching him curiously and Lucifer decided he couldn’t take the unnerving silence anymore.

“Are you angry with me?” He scowled and Gabriel blinked in surprise.

“What? No. Of course not.”

Lucifer’s scowl dimmed to make way for confusion.

“Then what was all that about?”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “…All what about?”

“Before. When you let them degrade you. When you just… sat there,” huffed Lucifer uncomfortably and Gabriel’s second eyebrow joined the first.

“What do you mean?”

“When they were insulting you and sprouting stupid comments and you said nothing!” Snapped Lucifer. “You just let them humiliate you and you didn’t even try to protest!”

Gabriel stared at him in bewilderment. “…I… I thought that’s what you wanted?”

Lucifer frowned. “What?”

The omega tilted his head. “I thought… You’re always complaining about how I am with your family and you all say I don’t respect any of you, so I just thought I’d try to be a polite, respectful omega for once. You’ve tried so hard to see the world from my view and you’ve made an effort to change for me, yet I’ve never tried to do the same for you,” he murmured, gaze dropping to his feet. “I thought maybe I could try being the omega you wanted me to be for once.”

He frowned. “Apparently, I’ve not done a very good job of that.”

Lucifer deflated. “You did a perfect job of behaving exactly as my family wishes you to behave,” he said and Gabriel glanced up at him.

“Then why don’t you sound happy?”

The alpha sighed. “Because… that’s not how I want to see you.” He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order. “Listen, Gabriel… I’m honoured you wanted to do this for me, but watching you act so submissive and subdued in front of a group of people who have done nothing but humiliate you… that’s not… that’s not you.

“You are wit and sarcasm and mischief and passion, and to see that absent in you… it’s wrong. I thought it would make me happy to hear you stop arguing with me and my family, but I’ve realised it just makes me feel…” He trailed off. He wasn’t used to explaining his feelings; his parents had drilled it into him that alphas weren’t supposed to reveal their vulnerabilities. He wasn’t certain if he should continue. Maybe Gabriel would think less of him for showing weakness?

“How does it make you feel?” Murmured Gabriel softly, inching closer to the stiff alpha.

Lucifer struggled to make sense of his thoughts.

“…Uneasy,” he admitted eventually, once he knew Gabriel was being sincere. “Numb. Like you’re not the person I know. I… I think… I think I enjoy arguing with you. I enjoy your wit and sarcasm and your sense of humour. I like how your voice betrays your passion when you speak of things you believe in; I love how you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself, even when you know doing so will get you into trouble.”

Lucifer’s frown faded as the epiphany struck.

“I don’t want you to be the stereotypical omega. In fact, that’s the thing I love about you; that you’re the complete opposite of everything I’ve been taught omegas should be.”

Gabriel was silent for a few moments and Lucifer glanced up after a few seconds to find the omega staring at him almost in… awe.

The alpha found himself once again drawn to Gabriel’s eyes. Warm amber sparkling with fondness. They really were beautiful eyes.

“I don’t want you to just let them belittle you,” Lucifer heard himself saying. “I want you to fight for your rights like you always do. I want you to argue and growl and say what you think in response to their demeaning words. I… I want you to know that I will support you and I’ll back you up if they become too cruel. No matter how many times we argue or yell at one another or start throwing punches, I want you to know that I’m on your side.”

Lucifer gulped. He had no idea where any of that had come from; he had just wanted to fill the silence.

Gabriel’s eyes were wide and stunned for a moment before he frowned as he glanced away.

“…We don’t fight that much. We’ve not… we’ve not bruised each other for a long while now,” he murmured almost petulantly and Lucifer lifted an eyebrow.

“We’re always fighting. We’re always pushing and shoving at each other.”

“Yeah but… that doesn’t… doesn’t mean we aren’t… friends, does it? I mean, friends fight all the time but it doesn’t mean they don’t like each other.”

Lucifer bit back a chuckle. “I thought you hated me?”

Gabriel’s gaze snapped up to him, scandalised.

“I don’t hate you! How could I hate you?”

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow. “I can think of a few reasons.”

“Well, I don’t,” huffed Gabriel. “In fact, I like you very much. You’ve been very good to me. Extremely good.” He smirked knowingly. “By the way, did I tell you I got my job back?”

“Did you?” Hummed Lucifer, feigning surprise. “Congratulations.”

“Boss sounded shaken. Seemed almost relieved when I said I’d go back,” commented Gabriel.

“And so he should,” replied Lucifer. “It’s not often one comes across such a talented chef. I hope he begged you to come back.”

A grin slowly wormed its way across the omega’s face. “It was a pleasant surprise to have him call me a mere two days after I’d been fired. Said he’d wipe my record clean, as if I’d never left.”

“Good,” said Lucifer. “It was obviously a mistake on his part. I’m glad he sorted everything out with you.”

Gabriel’s expression softened. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I don’t know how you did it or what you said, but thank you. Nobody’s ever done anything like that for me before.”

“I never did anything,” Lucifer commented airily. “You earned that position all by yourself. Your boss just came to his senses and realised how valuable you are to the restaurant.”

Gabriel was gazing at Lucifer fondly and it was making the alpha’s heart do weird things. 

“Either way, thank you,” smiled Gabriel and the alpha found himself mirroring the expression.

“If we return to the dining room, will you please go back to being you?” Asked Lucifer softly. “I don’t think I can sit through another round of you taking insult after insult.”

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “You really are uncomfortable, aren’t you?”

Lucifer shuffled his feet awkwardly. “I like the way you are. I enjoy your fiery spirit. You’re not afraid to argue with me or call me out whenever I say something ignorant or hurtful and I’ve never really had anyone answer back to me before. I don’t want you to be the obedient, timid omega my family says you ought to be.” The alpha paused. “Also, I find it very entertaining when you render my family speechless. Very few people can do it and it’s greatly amusing when you do.”

“Really? That’s a relief,” grinned Gabriel. “I don’t think I would’ve been able to hold the sarcasm back for much longer. _‘Omega’s can’t do much else’_ ; you have no idea the restraint required to stop me from commenting on that.”

Lucifer chuckled, beginning to relax now the omega was acting like his old self again.

“Don’t restrain yourself. Feel free to call them out on their arrogance. I will be the one laughing quietly in the corner.”

“You’ve changed your tune. Thought you hated me starting arguments?” Asked Gabriel and Lucifer pulled a face.

“After hearing my father discuss spousal abuse as if it was perfectly acceptable and then listening to Michael insinuate that he was going to beat his mate if she did something he didn’t approve of, I have no qualms with you arguing with any of my family if it means they might change their views. Like I said, I will happily back you up.”

“I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who found that whole exchange mildly horrifying,” said Gabriel with a shake of his head. 

Lucifer shifted uneasily. “I never thought… Michael has always been the perfect alpha. You don’t think he _actually_ hurts her, do you? It was just a sick joke, right? A bit of poor-taste teasing?”

Gabriel rolled his shoulders. “I’m not sure. I’ve never had much chance to speak to Anna and I don’t think she’d tell me if he did.”

Lucifer looked troubled. “She’s such a kind and gentle soul. Why would anyone ever want to hurt her? Surely we’ve got to be overthinking it; Michael would never… _beat_ his mate into submission. He’s my brother, I know he wouldn’t. He’s not like that.”

Gabriel said nothing when he registered the concern on the alpha’s face. He didn’t know what the dynamic was like between Michael and Anna, so he refused to comment.

Still, the older alpha’s words hadn’t been promising.

“…You know I wouldn’t do that to you, right?” Murmured Lucifer suddenly. “Not that you’d let me, but I would never… force you into submitting to me.”

At Gabriel’s raised eyebrow, the alpha’s expression grew even more troubled. 

“I know we’ve had our fair share of disagreements and I know we’ve not been hesitant in throwing our fists at each other, but I… when we first met and I told you I was going to _‘put you in your place’_ or _‘punish you for disobeying’_ , I… I was out of order. They were disgusting things to say and I’m sorry. I’m glad you fought back. I don’t want to be the type of alpha whose mate is afraid of them. I don’t want to… I don’t want to be the type of alpha who thinks it’s okay to batter their mate into submission.”

Gabriel’s gaze softened. “You’ve changed a lot since then.”

“Good,” whispered Lucifer and the omega smiled.

“You’re not perfect, but you’re getting there,” he teased and Lucifer quirked a small smile of his own. 

“I have you to thank for that,” he mumbled quietly and Gabriel’s chest warmed.

The alpha eventually looked up and offered his hand.

“I think we’d better return. I heard Mother’s made a chocolate cake of some sort and something tells me you’d never forgive me if I made you miss it.”

Gabriel beamed. “You know me so well,” he teased before graciously accepting Lucifer’s hand.

The second their skin contacted, they both gasped. Their souls lurched forwards with a strength neither of them had experienced before and it was enough to make Gabriel stumble and for Lucifer to reach out to steady him.

They ended up in a position where Lucifer had his hands splayed wide and solid over the omega’s hips and Gabriel’s hands pressed against the alpha’s chest for support. 

Lucifer’s mouth was suddenly dry as he glanced down at the stunned omega in his arms. His thumb was brushing a sliver of bare skin on Gabriel’s hip and it was making their souls bounce with excitement as they tried over and over to reach for one another.

Gabriel was so small and soft in Lucifer’s grip and his eyes shone so brightly; full of life and soul and Lucifer realised his life had never been all that fun or challenging until he had crossed paths with the omega. Gabriel took him away from his family’s expectations and he’d turned every single view he’d originally had of the world upside down. Lucifer had always lived the life his parents had carved out for him; go to school, get good grades, work at his father’s company, compete with his brothers to take over said company for when their father retired, find a mate, have children, pass the company onto them. Then Gabriel had come along and he had shown him that there was so much more he could do, and he didn’t have to do it alone. He didn’t have to have a traditional mate and work in a job he hated and he didn’t have to be the sole provider for his family and have to bottle up all his emotions because he was an alpha. He could do whatever he wanted.

Why would he want to live like his parents? He’d never even seen them act affectionate with each other. Why would he want a relationship so lacking in passion and enthusiasm and spontaneity when he could have someone like Gabriel? This feisty little omega who wasn’t afraid to kick him in the crotch when he said something stupid.

His lip twitched in amusement at the thought but Gabriel’s quiet cough snapped him back to reality.

“…Maybe we should get back to the dining room,” he murmured softly and Lucifer blinked before quickly releasing the omega.

“Right, of course. Sorry,” he stuttered out and Gabriel glanced down as the alpha stepped aside to allow the omega through the door.

They left the room with Lucifer trailing a step behind the omega, but the alpha’s heart leapt to his throat when Gabriel gingerly slipped his hand into his, lacing their fingers together.

Lucifer squeezed gently in encouragement and both men walked into the dining room with tiny smiles they couldn’t seem to get rid of.

“That took a while,” frowned Zachariah. “Is everything alright, son?”

“Oh, everything’s fantastic,” replied Gabriel. “Luci just gave me a couple of biscuits and a pat on the head for being such a good boy. He says if I keep it up, I can even have a belly rub too.”

Lucifer bit back a smirk when his father blinked in surprise. This was the Gabriel he was used to; this was the omega he liked.

The conversation went downhill from there, but Lucifer didn’t mind because Gabriel was still holding his hand under the table. He even fired off a few of his own sarcastic remarks when his family’s snide comments got a little too cruel.

Both men seemed to have forgotten their original reasons for initiating the torturous courtship. Lucifer had felt obliged to court the omega because their souls had reacted and Gabriel had wanted revenge for the alpha’s treatment of Meg and both were too stubborn to back down from a challenge. 

Except as the days rolled on, their courtship was starting to seem less like a painful challenge and more like a hopeful future for both of them.

Lucifer wasn’t thinking about any of that though. He just liked the feeling of Gabriel’s warm hand in his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lubriel~ <3 I can't believe half of you are more invested in this relationship than Destiel XD


	28. Telling the family

“Ellen certainly likes you,” smirked Dean as he lobbed a pair of his sleeping boxers and shirt somewhere in the vicinity of Castiel’s head.

The alpha rolled his eyes but took them anyway. 

“She only likes me because I stopped Jo from stealing that whiskey.”

Dean chuckled. “Jo was most displeased about that. She told me to _‘teach my boyfriend to have fun’_.”

“She was underage and drinking in a bar. I thought her mother wouldn’t be too thrilled if an officer walked in and spotted her daughter trying to swipe a whole bottle of Jack Daniel’s,” huffed Cas, but his smile betrayed his happiness; he loved it when Dean referred to him as his ‘boyfriend’.

“Nah, you did the right thing,” grinned Dean as he slipped his shirt off. Cas admired the strong tanned muscles for a few seconds before Dean raised an eyebrow, a lop-sided smirk gracing his lips.

“See anything you like?”

Cas nodded solemnly. “Indeed.”

Dean grinned and made a shooing motion with his hand. “Keep walking, alpha. Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?”

Castiel held up one hand in a halfhearted attempt at an apology before turning his back on Dean to give the omega some privacy. He decided to strip and slide his newly-acquired clothes on and he snorted when there was a wolf whistle from behind him.

“Double standards much?” He huffed once he was dressed, but he didn’t really mind because he and Dean had been going steady for three months now and he knew he had nothing to hide from the omega.

It was the Summer holidays and Dean had turned eighteen a month previous (everyone had turned up at his house much in the same way they had for Cas’ birthday, but with John having vanished for three days without any warning, there had been no need to be quiet and this time, Sam had been able to join in on the fun). With no school, Cas and Dean had been spending as much time as possible with one another, even including Sam on some of their days out and all three boys had lost count of the number of times Castiel had slept over at the Winchesters’. 

The bed was too small for the pair of them and Castiel often hadn’t been able to go home to collect fresh clothes for the next morning for fear of his parents or Dean’s finding out about their relationship, but neither boy minded because Cas secretly liked wearing Dean’s clothes (even if they were a little too big) and Dean loved lying his head on Cas’ chest as they slept.

“Nothing wrong with appreciating the artwork,” hummed Dean, shooting Cas a cheeky wink. He grabbed the laptop and threw back the duvet. “Anything you want to watch?”

“You,” replied Cas smoothly and Dean mimed gagging as they slipped into bed. Cas immediately wrapped his arms around Dean and began peppering kisses to his cheek as the omega opened _Netflix._

“You are the most affectionate alpha I’ve ever met,” murmured Dean as he snaked his arm around his friend.

“Are you complaining?” Asked Cas unconcernedly as he nuzzled the omega’s jaw.

“Not in the slightest,” smiled Dean as he stole a sly kiss. 

“Are you sure?” Mumbled Cas. “Because I can stop if you wish. I’ll go home if you’re tired of me.”

Dean growled softly as he tugged the alpha closer and Cas smirked triumphantly.

“Get back to being soppy,” huffed Dean as he selected ‘Iron man 2’. Couldn’t beat a bit of ACDC.

Castiel’s lips twitched as the main theme blared through the speakers and he pressed his nose into his omega’s neck, scenting deeply. Dean tilted his head slightly to offer Cas more access and the alpha huffed out a laugh when the omega hurled a stray pen at the light switch on the other side of the room, hitting his target square on and plunging their surroundings into darkness.

“That was impressive,” admitted Cas and the omega winked before settling into the pillows and tugging his alpha tight to his side.

“When did you say your father would be home?” Murmured Cas a few minutes later, in between doting kisses to Dean’s shoulder and neck and the omega pressed his lips to Cas’ head.

“Tomorrow afternoon. So there’s no need to worry about anything,” he whispered. Cas gently captured Dean’s lips. He loved how soft they were.

“Are you ever going to tell him?” He asked curiously and Dean raised an eyebrow.

“We can’t keep it a secret forever,” shrugged Cas and Dean pulled a face.

“I don’t know. Your folks aren’t exactly my greatest fans and Dad’s not too keen on me inviting alphas into the house. Heck, he barely tolerated Crowley.”

Cas growled lowly and Dean quirked a small smirk. He would never admit to the thrill he got at Cas’ possessive streak. It was rare to see the alpha flustered, but when it happened it made Dean want to bare his throat for Cas to mark. If his soul’s constant hammering at his insides was anything to go by, it was in favour of that idea too.

“I’m all yours, alpha,” purred Dean in a way he knew would wind Cas up and immediately the alpha rumbled in approval and nipped lightly at the omega’s throat. 

Dean decided to humour him and pushed him onto his back so he could lie on Cas’ chest. Cas rumbled in delight and wrapped his arms around him as he nuzzled his hair.

“You’re easily pleased,” huffed Dean as he relaxed into Cas and closed his eyes, movie forgotten.

“Look who’s talking,” teased Castiel, placing a kiss against the omega’s head.

“Shut up,” mumbled Dean. “Not my fault you’re a good pillow.”

“Glad to be of service,” whispered Cas as he shifted into a more comfortable position. “And I wasn’t pressuring you into telling your father; I was just curious about what you had planned.”

“I’ll tell him eventually,” sighed Dean. “Just not yet. I’m sure you don’t want to be looking down the barrel of a gun any time soon anyway.”

Castiel squeezed Dean at the memory. He didn’t want to see either of their lives on the line ever again.

“And I don’t want to lose you either,” added Dean quietly and Cas’ heart melted. He tilted the omega’s chin up and kissed him adoringly before leaning their heads together.

“I can’t believe I’m allowed to have this,” he whispered. “I can’t believe I’m allowed to have you.”

Dean stole a kiss. “Don’t get all emotional on me.”

“I mean it, Dean,” breathed Cas. “There is no way I deserve you. I was cruel and hurtful to you and some of the things I did and said were beyond disgusting. You should never have spared me a glance, let alone have been willing to court me. I don’t deserve you.”

Dean frowned and propped himself up on his elbow as he glanced down at the alpha.

“Are you kidding? Cas, I’m honoured to be dating you. Sure, we got off to a bad start, but not only were you willing to learn and apologise for your mistakes and defend those that needed it, you almost took a bullet for me. You were willing to sacrifice your life for mine. If anything, I should be the one sprouting the _‘I’m not worthy’_ spiel.”

Cas carefully pulled Dean onto his chest again. “It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me; after all you’ve given and shown me.”

Dean’s frown deepened and he wriggled out of the alpha’s grasp, to Cas’ confusion.

“Hey, I mean it,” he scowled. “I don’t want you ever doing anything like that again. No jumping in front of any more weapons for me, okay? I couldn’t live with myself if I thought something had happened to you because of me.”

Cas dragged the omega back into his chest but said nothing. He wouldn’t hesitate to stand in front of another gun if it meant saving Dean’s life, but if the omega didn’t want to hear that, then he wouldn’t say anything.

“My life is worth no more than yours,” huffed Dean quietly as he snuggled into his alpha. Once again, Cas remained silent, merely pressing a kiss to Dean’s hair. Dean shifted until he could sweetly slot their mouths together and Cas tightened his grip on his friend.

They lost track of time as they tasted one another, relaxing against each other’s bodies as they poured all their affection into the gentle pressure of lips against lips and neither boy had ever felt so content as they cuddled into one another.

After a few minutes they parted and Dean tucked his head under Castiel’s chin as he moulded the covers around them both, soul settling as close to Cas’ as it could get without merging. Cas smiled and curled his arms around the omega protectively as he nuzzled light brown tufts of hair.

They focused on the movie once more, exchanging tender kisses every so often until the credits rolled and Dean switched off the laptop and placed it on the floor before settling into Castiel to sleep.

Cas curled around Dean, stroking the omega’ back as he peppered kisses over his head and when he heard Dean’s breathing shallow and felt his muscles loosen, Cas closed his own eyes and began to drift off.

Suddenly, something grabbed him by his shirt collar and he yelped as he was dragged away from Dean and hurled to the floor, a deep snarl resonating from above him.

He caught Dean’s wide, shocked eyes and the omega scrambled towards him but a hand shoved at his chest and threw him back towards the head of the bed. Dean quickly lost all colour and he stiffened as he stared at whoever had assaulted him.

Alpha instincts firing up at the sight of his frightened omega, Cas growled threateningly at his attacker as he leapt to his feet, fists raised and gaze narrowed. It was difficult to see in the pitch black but the outraged scent clearly belonged to another alpha.

“Get away from him,” snarled Castiel and the large figure turned to him with a challenging rumble of its own.

“You’re in my territory,” hissed the intruder. “Assaulting my son. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

Cas paled as he recognised the voice. He desperately tried to make his scent less threatening. Wasn't John only supposed to be back tomorrow?

“He wasn’t assaulting me, Dad,” rushed Dean. “He was just holding me. We didn’t do anything, I swear.”

“Turn the lights on,” growled John and Cas hurried to do as ordered. He gasped when he was slammed into the wall and pinned by the older alpha.

“Did you knot him?” Demanded John and Cas lost his nerve for a moment in the face of the oldest Winchester’s fury. “Well?” Insisted John as he shook the younger alpha.

“N-no, Sir,” stuttered Cas, shaking his head frantically. “I promise I didn’t do anything to him. I’ve never done anything to him.”

“If I find out he’s pregnant,” whispered John dangerously, “I’ll make sure you never see the light of day again, boy.” He whipped his head around to glare at Dean. “If you’re pregnant, you look after it yourself. You won’t get a penny from me. You’re gonna learn from your mistakes one way or another.”

“I’m not pregnant,” stated Dean. “I promise, Cas did nothing.”

“Cas, huh?” Sneered John. “So now you’re spreading your legs for two alphas? I take it Crowley doesn’t know you’re running a brothel?”

Dean winced. “I… I’m not with Crowley anymore. Haven’t been for months.” Hadn’t his father noticed that Crowley hadn’t visited for over three months? Then again, the man was always either looking down the bottom of a beer bottle or knotting an equally drunk omega or beta he’d picked up from the bar, and other than that he was out late doing who-knows-what, claiming to be working.

“So you get rid of one slime ball and pick up another?” Grunted John, narrowing his eyes at Cas. “If you’re going to start servicing alphas, at least get paid for it.”

Cas scowled as Dean grimaced.

“He’s not a cheap prostitute,” Cas huffed. “He doesn’t walk around town inviting alphas to knot him.”

“Then why were you in his bed?” Asked John, face inches from the younger alpha’s.

“I’m his boyfriend,” replied Cas testily. “And we were sleeping; nothing more.”

“Of course you were,” drawled John sarcastically before wrapping his hand around Cas’ throat. “You’ve still not answered my question regarding why I shouldn’t kill you.”

When Cas’ eyes blew wide in shock from the pressure around his throat, Dean sprinted towards the pair and grabbed his father’s shoulder.

“Don’t! Dad, please! He’s a good guy. He’s done so much for me. We really are courting and I promise we’ve not done anything. Don’t hurt him, please!”

John once again turned to glare at Dean and at this distance, the omega could see the glazed look in his eyes and he could detect the alcohol in his breath. His father was drunk.

Dean gulped. 

“Dad, he’s my best friend. Don’t hurt him. I need him.”

John swayed a little as he scowled. “You shouldn’t be involved with alphas. You should never have been involved with alphas. You were supposed to be one of them, not this… pathetic, weak, fragile, submissive omega. How do you always find ways to disappoint me? Ever since your mom died you’ve done nothing but disappoint your family.” His eyes roamed over Dean’s body. “You don’t even look like an omega. You can’t do that right either.”

Dean shrunk in on himself as he lowered his gaze obediently.

“I know, but just… don’t hurt Cas. He's always there for me even when I screw up. I’m his omega and he… he’s my alpha.”

John hurled Castiel to the floor with a fierce snarl.

“ _I am your alpha!_ ” He roared, clutching Dean’s collar. “I am your father and you do as I say! You don’t roll over and bare your throat to some wet-behind-the-ears, yellow-bellied punk; you listen to me and my orders! I know what’s best for you, not this sleazy kid with a half-formed knot!” He threw the omega against the wall and Dean grasped his head as pain flared in his skull.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” whimpered Dean as he tried to make himself look smaller. “I’m sorry, but Cas is my soulmate. He... he really is my alpha...”

“Pathetic,” scoffed John in disgust. “You’re so submissive, just like every other omega. You’ll be pushed around for the rest of your life. No wonder all the alphas take advantage of you; you’re not strong enough to stand up for yourself. Your mother would be ashamed.”

Dean’s gaze plummeted to his feet and water threatened to spill over his eyelids as his scent gave off waves of sorrow and shame and apology. Why was he never good enough? 

Cas saw red. This alpha had upset his soulmate both physically and emotionally and now every fibre of his being was telling him to plough into John and make him pay for hurting his perfect omega. He’d never felt such a strong surge of fury towards anyone, but seeing Dean apologising to the man who’d degraded him left Cas’ whole body rearing for a fight, alpha hormones racing through his veins in a way he’d never experienced before. He didn’t care that this alpha was stronger than him; he just wanted to hurt the man.

So he drove his fist into John’s face.

“You don’t ever get to speak to him like that,” hissed Cas as the older alpha staggered backwards, holding his jaw. “He’s not a disappointment and the only person anyone is ashamed of here is you. You’re not fit to call yourself anybody’s father! Dean isn’t submissive; he’s just terrified of you, as he should be. You’re a deranged, knot-headed psychopath!”

“You’re gonna regret that, boy,” growled John, wiping the blood from his lips before leaping for Cas.

Dean shouted in alarm as John smashed his fist into Castiel’s face and the two alphas grappled for a few moments, kicking and clawing and snarling as they each tried to pin the other. Eventually, John gained the upper hand and curled his hand around Cas’ throat until the younger alpha was gasping for breath, but Dean surprised his father by kicking him in the crotch and the older alpha loosened his grip in agony. Cas kicked John off him and scrambled to his feet, but John was already pulling him down again, slamming his head against the floor.

“Cas?” Came a confused and scared voice and the trio turned to find Sam watching the proceedings from the doorway, fear clear in his eyes.

It was enough of a distraction for Cas to throw John off again and with a kick to the older alpha’s stomach, Cas clawed his way to his feet, staggering away from his rival.

Dean was immediately by his side, horror scrawled over his features as he took in his friend’s battered and bloodied face.

There was a haunting click and both boys turned slowly to find John aiming a handgun between Cas’ eyes.

With a sense of déjà vu, Dean placed himself in the line of fire, shielding Cas’ body with his own. He was surprised when Sam scurried into the room and stood by his side, protecting Cas as well.

“Let him go, Dad,” breathed Sam. “You’re not thinking straight. You’ve had too much to drink and you’re gonna regret this in the morning. Let him go.”

The gun swayed as John struggled to focus.

“He attacked me in my own home,” he grumbled, blood running down the side of his face. “It’s my right to protect my family and my territory.”

“You’re not protecting anyone,” growled Sam. “You’re just catering to your ego. You don’t want a younger alpha beating you in a fistfight.”

“He’s knotting your brother. Dean thinks it’s affection but I know it’s not. Your useless brother just can’t say ‘no’ to any alpha with a big knot,” spat John and Sam caught Cas bristling again and he immediately understood what had happened. 

He scowled. “Cas isn’t like that and neither is Dean. You spend so long drinking and banging one night stands that you don’t recognise when your own son is genuinely happy. They’re soulmates! Like you and mom were. No matter how much you hate it, they want each other and you can’t stop them.”

He scrunched his nose up in distaste. “And the more you insult and humiliate Dean, the more Cas will want to defend him. So of course he attacked you; you upset his soulmate. Didn’t you ever get protective over mom?”

John frowned and lowered the gun slightly. “Leave your mother out of this. This isn’t about her.”

“No, it’s about you trying to tear two soulmates apart because you have this messed-up idea that Dean can’t be happy because he presented as an omega instead of an alpha,” huffed Sam. “I would’ve thought you of all people would want to keep two soulmates together. Afterall, you know the pain of losing your other half.”

“This is different,” growled John. “They’re not mated yet.”

“Why can’t you just let Dean be happy for once?” Yelled Sam exasperatedly. “Why have you got to make his life so miserable?”

John scowled but slowly lowered the gun. 

“...Get out of here, punk,” he murmured to Cas. “Before I change my mind.”

Cas didn’t want to leave the brothers with this crazy alpha, but Dean gently nudged his shoulder.

“Go home and get fixed up,” he whispered. “We’ll be alright; it’s you he wants. Run before he changes his mind.”

Cas opened his mouth to protest but Dean shook his head. 

“You’re hurt,” he whispered. “You need to get cleaned up and healed. Go.”

“Go on, Cas,” murmured Sam in agreement and Castiel hesitated for a second before his eyes flicked to the gun in John’s shaky hand and he nodded.

“Be careful,” he muttered before edging over to the door and making his way out of the house.

He shut the door behind him and paused. Everything was so silent and a sense of foreboding crawled up Cas’ spine. With one last concerned look towards Dean’s bedroom window, Cas limped away into the night, praying that the brothers really would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming to the end now guys! I'd say there's about three chapters left? Maybe four? Hope you're still enjoying the ride!


	29. Fight

Castiel had been checking his phone without fail every ten minutes. He had barely slept last night as every time he had closed his eyes, images of Sam and Dean having to defend themselves against a drunken, gun-wielding John Winchester had flashed through his mind and he had shot upright, sweat coating his body.

He had texted Dean the second he got home, to tell him if anything went wrong he and Sam were to come directly to his house. When no reply had filtered through after an hour, Cas had been on edge. Something didn’t feel right but he tried to convince himself that the brothers were probably just sleeping; afterall, it was late. He had cleaned up the blood coating his face and body and had taken a cold shower to soothe his injuries.

The next morning, he texted Dean again to ask if he was alright. No reply.

Worry creeping in on the edges of his mind, Cas tried to call the omega but he was greeted with a voicemail message.

Fifteen texts and twenty-two calls later, Cas was panicking. Morning had rolled into afternoon which had rolled into early evening and there was still no word from either Winchester brother. He wondered if he should visit the house, but if John was still there, he had no doubt the alpha would have no problems in firing that gun at his head. 

Still, if his friends were in trouble…

Cas scowled at his phone once again when there were no new messages. If Sam and Dean were being abused by their father, what was he supposed to do? He could get them away from the house, sure, but for how long? John had custody over them and if he kept them in his house, John would most certainly call the police to report child abduction or something; especially for Sam. He could tell the police that John was abusing his sons, but what happened then? What happened to the brothers? Would they get taken away and be forced to go to different schools in a foster home where they didn’t know anybody? What if they were moved to a different state to get them as far away from John as possible? 

Castiel didn’t know what to do.

Through his worry he could vaguely hear music and when he listened carefully, he realised someone was playing a trumpet and a violin in an almost duel-like fashion. Intrigued, he decided to follow the sounds.

He was led to Lucifer’s door and after a brief moment of hesitation, he tapped on it.

The door opened and a grinning Gabriel popped his head around it.

“Hey, kiddo. Let me guess; you think the trumpet sounds way better than that scratchy old fiddle?”

There was a snort behind him. “He’s clearly come to appreciate a real instrument here; a true piece of artwork, not a bit of coiled pipe,” came Lucifer’s voice and Gabriel stuck his tongue out at whatever was behind the door.

“Don’t make him stand out in the corridor, let him in,” said Lucifer and Gabriel threw the door wide to let the younger alpha through.

Castiel shuffled into the room, head low and both older men tilted their heads in concern.

“Are you alright, kid?” Asked Gabriel softly. “You look like someone just ate your puppy.”

“Castiel?” Lucifer tried when his younger brother didn’t immediately answer. “Is something wrong?”

The older alpha paused when he spotted a bruise on his brother’s face and the cuts on his arm.

“Where did you get these?” He demanded as he crossed the floor and held Cas’ arm out for inspection. “Who hurt you?”

“…John Winchester,” mumbled Cas and the older men’s eyebrows raised in alarm before Lucifer bristled. 

“He beat up a teenager? Maybe I should go down there and let him face a more suitable opponent. If he wants a fight, I’ll be happy to give him one,” growled Lucifer but Gabriel gently placed a hand on his arm and the alpha calmed a little.

“Why did he hit you?” Asked Gabriel quietly. “What happened?”

Cas frowned at his hands. “I was staying over at Dean’s. We weren’t doing anything; we were just sleeping, but I had my arms around Dean and John was only supposed to come home this afternoon, but he came back early and spotted us together. He dragged me away from Dean and started saying all these horrible things about him; about how he was spreading his legs for every alpha on the street and how he was such a disappointment for presenting as an omega and how he would never make anything of himself because he was too weak.”

Cas shifted uncomfortably. “Dean looked heartbroken and I just… snapped. I hit John and suddenly, we were fighting. Then John pulled a gun on me and Sam and Dean jumped in the way and I ran.” He shook his head bitterly. “I should’ve stayed with them. I shouldn’t have left them with that monster.”

Lucifer and Gabriel were gaping at him with wide eyes. 

“He pulled a gun on you?” Breathed Gabriel. “How crazy is this guy?”

A low growl was resonating through Lucifer’s chest and the alpha seemed unable to stop it. 

“Why that twisted son of a- Do you want me to go sort him out?” He asked but Cas shook his head.

“Sam and Dean haven’t been answering their phones,” he whispered and the older men glanced at each other worriedly. 

“I don’t know what to do,” admitted Cas quietly. “How do I help them?”

“Do you think they’re still at the house?” Asked Gabriel and Lucifer quickly caught on to his line of thinking when Cas nodded.

“Put your shoes on,” Lucifer said. “We’re going to get them.”

Cas perked up. “You’re really going to help them?”

“Course we are, kiddo,” chuckled Gabriel as he ruffled Cas’ hair reassuringly. “Can’t let your epic love story end here, can we?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes but placed his violin on the bed, beside Gabriel’s trumpet as Castiel practically sprinted from the room.

“Oh, and this isn’t over, Sherlock,” winked Gabriel and Lucifer turned to him. “We still have a fugue to get through.”

“Think you can reach that high?” Teased Lucifer. 

“Think you can bow that fast?” Gabriel shot back.

“How many notes can you play at once?” Smirked Lucifer.

“How many notes can you play in tune?” Gabriel stuck his tongue out before making his way towards the door, automatically grabbing Lucifer’s hand and pulling him with him. Lucifer tangled their fingers together and by the time they reached the front door, Cas was already waiting for them, looking anxious.

Castiel flung the door open, fully prepared to hop into Lucifer’s car and rescue the Winchester brothers, but the trio’s eyes blew wide when they saw what was standing in their way.

There, huddled together on the porch, one reaching out to knock on the now open door, stood an equally surprised Sam and Dean.

For a second though, Castiel couldn’t breathe because Dean was holding Sam tight to his body in the picture of protectiveness and both boys were littered in bruises and handprints. They had obviously been crying and there were still tear tracks staining Sam’s face, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that John had gone to town on beating his sons in his drunken stupor.

“…I don’t want to stay there anymore,” whimpered Dean, tugging Sam closer.

Cas dragged the pair inside and pulled them to his chest and Gabriel and Lucifer’s hearts broke when both Winchesters broke down, sobbing into Castiel’s neck.

“Come on, upstairs,” murmured Gabriel. He didn’t want the rest of the Novak family seeing these two battered boys; who knows what stupid things they’d do or say? No need to upset the brothers any further.

The group bustled into Cas’ room and Sam and Dean latched onto Castiel again as they sat on the bed, Lucifer and Gabriel watching from across the room with aching souls. 

“What happened?” Whispered Cas, tugging both boys closer and nuzzling their hair.

“Dad passed out on my floor shortly after you left. He slept until lunch and when he woke up, he had a terrible hangover; one that was making his head throb. He staggered into Sam’s room, where we were both staying and started yelling at us. He was angry we’d defended you,” mumbled Dean. “He didn’t like how Sam had spoken to him and he was furious with me for kicking him when you were fighting. Said we were disrespectful, rebellious disappointments and we weren’t fit to be Winchesters. We argued we were just trying to stop him from hurting you and he decided we were turning against him so he said he was going to punish us. He took his belt off and when we tried to run, he just dragged us back and started hitting us with it and punching us.”

Castiel whined softly and pressed his lips to Dean’s head before nuzzling Sam’s hair and tucking them both into his sides. They wrapped their arms around him and breathed in his comforting scent.

“How did you escape?” Asked Gabriel in hushed horror and Dean eyed him warily before looking away.

“He chased us into the kitchen so I smashed a plate over his head. He was so drunk it was enough to knock him out. I stole the car and drove here.”

Dean suddenly shrunk in on himself as he tried to press as close to Cas as possible and Sam whimpered quietly as he did the same. Cas was confused why they suddenly smelled so fearful but then he caught a whiff of the other scent; one full of rage and fury and a desire to kill or at least horrifically injure. It was drowning in alpha hormones.

“Luci,” whispered Gabe, placing his hand over the alpha’s arm. “You’re scaring them.”

Lucifer blinked before trying to mask his anger. 

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t aimed at you,” murmured Lucifer in a way he hoped sounded reassuring.

Dean risked a glance at him. “Lucifer and Gabriel?” He asked Cas, voice barely a whisper and the alpha nodded with a small smile. 

“We were just coming to get you. You didn’t answer your phones so we decided to find you to check you were okay.” He glanced over their bodies sadly. “We should’ve come earlier.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t answer. I left my phone in my room and didn’t want to wake Dad,” said Dean as he pressed his nose into Cas’ neck.

“I forgot to charge mine,” murmured Sam guiltily. 

“You’re here now,” muttered Cas. “You’re safe. That's all that matters. You don’t have to worry about your psychotic father again, I promise.”

The arms around him tightened.

“What about your parents? They hate me. They won’t want us staying here,” mumbled Dean and Lucifer snorted.

“Our parents can say whatever they like. You aren’t going back there.”

Dean glanced at him gratefully and the older alpha managed a small smile.

“Thank you,” whispered Dean.

“We won’t let you go without a home,” murmured Cas. “Ignore our parents. They’re idiots.”

Dean quirked his lips at that and Sam bit back a grin.

“Nobody needs convincing of that,” muttered Gabriel drily and Sam snickered as Dean shot the other omega a grin. Gabriel winked at him.

“…You’re the guys who paid the money to save us from Cr- those hitmen,” corrected Dean. “I never got a chance to say thank you in person, so… thank you. I’ll do everything I can to repay you.”

Gabriel shook his head in amusement. “The kid looks like he’s been someone’s punching bag and he’s still trying to please everyone around him.” He glanced at Cas. “You keep hold of him; he’s a good one. Do all you can to make him happy. Kid deserves it.”

“I will,” murmured Cas as he watched Dean look away shyly.

“Don’t worry about the money, Dean,” said Lucifer. “You don’t owe us anything. Just focus on resting and healing.” He tilted his head. “I think all three of you would benefit from some of that.”

“I’ll go and get you some ice and plasters and some other bits,” stated Gabriel before slipping out of the room.

Lucifer slowly made his way over to the trio, kneeling in front of them.

“Do you want me to contact the police?” He asked softly. “You’ll never have to see him again.”

Dean hesitated. “No,” he murmured. “If he’s taken to prison that means Sammy goes to a foster home or an orphanage. I may be eighteen but I doubt I can win custody of him if I don’t earn enough money to even keep myself in food and a house.”

Lucifer sighed. He’d half expected that answer.

“I would try to take custody of him but I’m not the homeowner so I’m in a similar position to you.” He tilted his head. “I could buy a house, I suppose. Get all three of you away from here?”

Dean shook his head. “You don’t even know me and Sammy. We could never ask you to waste your money like that. Besides, it takes weeks to buy a house; the courts won’t like that. If the deal fell through they’d see it as us not having a home.”

Lucifer’s mouth drew into a thin line. Dean was quite correct. 

“If you don’t report him to the police, he can claim you back at any time,” warned Lucifer and Dean sighed.

“I know. And I know we’ll have to go back at some point but just for now… can we stay here? Just for a little bit whilst he cools off? I’ll pay for our food and utilities and I’ll help around the house.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” huffed Lucifer. “You’re going to rest and recover and until then you’re not even going to consider going anywhere.”

“You’re not going back,” growled Cas softly. “Not to him. Not ever.”

“…He’s our dad,” whispered Dean as reality settled in. “No matter what he does he’s still our dad.”

“He’s a child abuser,” corrected Gabriel when he returned with a box of creams and bandages and ice packs. “And whatever kind of loyalty you feel you have to him because he’s blood, you need to ignore. He’s not your family, Dean. Family doesn’t beat each other half to death.”

“He never used to be like this,” mumbled Dean. “Back when Mom was here, he was a good man…”

Gabriel’s gaze softened. “I know it’s hard to lose your parents, kiddo. Trust me, I know. But that man is not the same person anymore; he’s no more your father than an alcoholic off the street is. A father would never hurt his sons, no matter what they do or how they presented or who their soulmate is. That man doesn’t deserve to be your father.”

Dean cocked his head slightly. “…Have you ever lost a parent?”

Gabriel smiled sadly. “Both. When I was sixteen. There was a fire and I lost everything. I was taken to an orphanage with a salvaged shoebox of memories and what little cash I had on me and everything else either burned with the fire or was taken by the staff at the orphanage.” He gently squeezed Dean’s shoulder.

“But you have friends here. That will never happen to you because we won’t let it. You’ll never be on your own. Biologically, that man may be your father, but he clearly doesn’t see you as his sons. Let him go, Dean. He’ll only hurt you more if you don’t.”

Dean relaxed into Castiel as the alpha stroked a thumb over his hip.

“Don’t think about it now,” whispered Cas. “We’ll worry about it later. Will you stay and rest? Please?”

Dean buried his face into Cas’ neck again and nodded.

Cas smiled, pleased and pressed his lips to the omega’s hair, uncaring that he was being watched.

“Thank you to both of you,” murmured Castiel, glancing up to Lucifer and Gabriel. “You’ve been very kind, but I think I can handle it from here.” Sam and Dean would probably feel better if they were alone with someone they knew and not being fussed over by extra people they’d never met before.

Lucifer and Gabriel nodded in understanding. 

“If any of you need anything, you know where to find us,” murmured Gabriel before leading Lucifer from the room to murmurs of appreciation from all three.

“They’re nice,” hummed Sam as he settled into Cas. 

Castiel chuckled. “Gabriel has had quite an effect on Lucifer these past months. A little like you two have on me.”

“Well, somebody needed to do something about you,” teased Dean and Cas quirked a smile.

“Right, yeah, because you’re always such a ray of sunshine, Dean,” snorted Sam.

“Hey, I’m awesome,” said Dean. “And you know I am.”

The trio lapsed into silence as they held onto each other for a few moments, then Cas extracted himself from their grips and grabbed the box of supplies Gabriel had brought in, smiling at the sight of the pack of Skittles he’d slipped in. He threw the treats at the Winchester brothers before setting to work on their injuries.

 

* * *

 

Lucifer had later explained what had happened to the Winchester brothers and he had told his parents they would be staying over for a while. As expected, Naomi and Zachariah had been vehemently against it and had immediately demanded to kick them out and shove them in an orphanage, but Lucifer had put his foot down and told them he wouldn’t allow it. 

Naomi had refused to cook for them and Zachariah refused to pay anything for them, so Gabriel had made it his excuse to visit every day in order to cook for the brothers. Lucifer paid for their utilities and he thought it was a fantastic suggestion having Gabriel over every day (although he may have been biased) and just to prove a point, every so often he would refuse the meal his mother had made in favour of eating with Sam, Dean, Cas and Gabriel later in the evening.

The five got along very well and Sam and Dean’s bruises healed a little bit more each time they woke up in Cas’ room. Their sadness and concerns seemed to disappear over the days as well until they were genuinely enjoying their extended sleepover with the company they were growing attached to. Lucifer and Gabriel seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much, and Gabe and Dean were definitely a force to be reckoned with when they started pranking the alphas.

Michael had been informed of the arrangement by his two irate parents, but there was nothing he could do because he was away in the Caribbean with Anna for two weeks.

Of course, when he returned, that’s when all Hell broke loose.

Dean had merely been getting a drink for him and Cas. Lucifer and Gabriel were teaching Sam how to read music in the older alpha’s room and the Novak parents and Raphael were in the living room, no doubt complaining about their unwanted guests, leaving Cas and Dean to play Mario kart upstairs. They had paused for a drink and Dean had offered to get them because he wanted to stretch his legs.

He never heard Michael enter the room.

“You,” growled a voice from behind him and Dean whirled in surprise to find Michael glaring at him, Anna watching worriedly from the dining room.

“How dare you show your face here after everything you’ve done,” Michael snarled. “You disrespect our family, get involved with drugs, manipulate Castiel into feeling something for you so he’ll give you money, and then you tell him and Lucifer some sob story so they’ll feel sorry for you and your bratty brother and offer you a house for you to leech off? You have some nerve, omega.” 

Dean blinked in surprise. It took him a few moments to catch onto Michael’s meaning about the drugs and when he did, he frowned.

“I made a mistake,” he lied. “And I wish I’d never got involved with any of that, but I can’t change my past and Castiel has been willing to look past it all and court me even though I don’t deserve him. I’ve not forced him into feeling anything for me; he chose to court me.” His scowl deepened. “And we’re not leeching off you or your parents. I’ve got a job and I’m paying for Sam’s and my food and essentials.” Cas and Lucifer hadn’t wanted him to, but he didn’t feel right using the Novaks like that. They’d already offered him and Sam a place to sleep and shower; it was more than enough.

“Why should I believe anything you say? You’re a compulsive liar and you’ve twisted Castiel into a deceitful thief as well. No wonder your father is ashamed of you,” sneered Michael.

Dean stiffened. “Well ain’t you just a peach?” He growled before shoving past Michael with his Coke-filled glasses. “Now I understand why your girl looks like she wants to move states.”

Michael raised an eyebrow and glanced over to Anna, who was hovering in the corner of the room a fair distance away as she watched the proceedings in silence. She lowered her gaze when she caught Michael staring.

“My relationship with Anna is most satisfactory,” huffed Michael. 

“Yeah, for you,” snorted Dean. “You asked her what she thinks?”

Michael rumbled threateningly. “Listen here you insolent little beast, you’re not welcome in my house.”

“’S a good thing this isn’t your house then,” quipped Dean as he made his way across the dining room. 

“I don’t know who you think you are, but omegas like you need to learn their place and that means not speaking back when an alpha gives them an order. I want you and your stupid little brother gone within the next five minutes,” snapped Michael.

“Oh, can it, your majesty,” drawled Gabriel as he sauntered into the dining room, presumably for a few drinks. “Nobody cares what you have to say. And for the record, Sam isn’t stupid. He’s learned how to read sheet music in under two hours. That’s pretty impressive.”

Dean smirked proudly. Sammy was a talented kid.

Michael narrowed his eyes. “And you’re another one who needs to learn his place. I’m told you’ve turned Lucifer against our parents. Do you really hate alphas so much that you’d be willing to break a family apart? You’ve not got parents so why should Lucifer; is that it?”

Gabriel bristled for a second before he rolled his eyes. “Right now, my place is in the kitchen, pouring three cold drinks. After that, it will be with Lucifer and Sam, who happen to be good friends of mine.” He glared at Michael. “And I don’t know how you found out about my parents, but if you mention them again, you’ll see first-hand how strong omegas really are. Excuse me.” He stalked into the kitchen.

“You realise Lucifer doesn’t really care about you?” Called Michael. “You’re just another bed warmer. He’s only holding on to you because you’re playing hard to get. The second you start sucking his knot, and I’m sure you will, he’ll get bored of you and he’ll start coming up with creative ways to entertain himself, like he did with the others. You’ll soon leave him, exactly like all the others and dearest brother will move onto his next victim.” Michael glanced over at Dean disinterestedly. “Who knows? He may even start on you.”

Gabriel stormed into the dining room, face like thunder.

“He’s changed,” he hissed. “He’s not like that now. He’s a thoughtful, protective alpha, which makes him better than you’ll ever be.” Gabriel’s soul was screeching out a battle cry. No one insulted Lucifer in front of him. Who did this useless lump of flesh think he was? “And at least if I start sucking his knot, I’ll be willing.” He glanced pointedly at Anna and Michael stiffened.

Then Gabriel realised what he’d said and he paused. Had he just insinuated he wanted to suck Lucifer’s…?

“I have never forced my mate into anything,” Michael snarled, yet Anna’s expression said something else entirely. “You have some gall implying such things!”

“And you must be messed up in the head to say such things about your own brother,” spat Gabriel. He grabbed his three glasses and prowled over to Dean. 

“C’mon, kiddo. Let’s leave the trash to rot down here.”

“Says the omega,” scoffed Michael. “A fat, ugly, repulsive, useless male omega telling a successful alpha that he’s trash. It’s funny enough to be a joke.”

Dean whirled on Michael. “If you think alphas are so great, let one knot you. You seem like the type who’ll enoy it.”

Michael snarled. “Don’t test me, omega.”

“Don’t test _us_ , knothead,” bit out Gabriel as he and Dean walked into the hall.

Suddenly, there was a _thwack_ and the sound of glass shattering on tile and Dean turned in horror to find Gabriel on the floor, clutching his jaw and bleeding lip as glass shards bounced around him.

“I should’ve done that a long time ago,” hissed Michael as he loomed over Gabriel, fists clenched and Dean felt sick when he noticed Zachariah, Naomi and Raphael smirking in the doorway to the lounge.

Dean moved towards Gabriel, but before Michael could turn on him, the alpha was knocked off his feet by something large and strong that was snarling fiercely.

Michael yelped in agony as Lucifer rammed his fist into his stomach and the older alpha’s eyes blew wide when his head was smashed into the wall and he caught a glimpse of his brother’s furious expression. Lucifer crushed his fist into Michael’s jaw with a feral growl and Michael was momentarily paralysed by the amount of protectiveness and white hot rage Lucifer’s scent was drowning him in. 

Eventually, Michael came to his senses and his fury at being challenged by his younger brother had him fighting back almost as determinedly. Alpha hormones battled for dominance as they kicked and clawed and threw their fists at one another, snarling threateningly as they drew blood. Michael dug his nails into Lucifer’s cheek as Lucifer’s knuckles impacted his jaw and the older alpha kicked hard at his brother’s stomach, making Lucifer double over in pain.

Michael grabbed Lucifer’s hair and pulled, but it gave Lucifer a chance to wrap his fingers around the older man’s throat and Michael scrabbled at his hand desperately, only succeeding in throwing him off by hooking a leg around his brother’s and knocking him off balance. He slammed Lucifer’s head against the wall and Lucifer shouted in agony when his brother clawed at his face again, but he managed to kick out, sending Michael stumbling and he pinned his brother to the floor with a vicious snarl as he drove his fist into his brother’s nose, easily breaking it. Encouraged by the blood dripping down his brother’s skin, Lucifer pummelled Michael’s face a few more times until it was sufficiently marked and bloodied and with one last wild growl, Lucifer staggered to his feet, glancing at Gabriel in concern.

By now, it was clear Lucifer was in full _alpha-protecting-his-mate_ mode despite not even being in a relationship with Gabriel, but humiliated by being beaten by his younger brother, Michael chose to ignore the dangers and lunged for Lucifer as he was making his way over to Gabriel.

He kicked at the other alpha’s legs and one resounded with a sickening _crack_ as Lucifer stumbled with a cry. He hurled Lucifer against the wall and pinned him by his throat as he threw punch after punch at the other alpha’s stomach but then through the haze of hormones and pain, Lucifer remembered a trick Gabriel had taught him.

Michael yelped as Lucifer clutched his crotch as tight as he could and the younger alpha flipped their positions as he pressed close to his brother.

“Move and I rip it off,” he hissed and Michael narrowed his eyes, only to howl in agony when Lucifer pulled hard, digging his nails in.

“Stay,” ordered Lucifer dangerously and Michael slumped in relief when Lucifer finally released him. He couldn’t have moved if he’d wanted to now his crotch felt like it had been run over by an eighteen-wheeler.

Their parents and Raphael were gaping in shock, faces pale and bodies still in pure terror. They had never seen Lucifer and Michael fight like that. It was disturbing to see them go all alpha on each other.

Castiel, Dean and Sam were by Gabriel’s side, checking he was alright before their concerned gazes turned to the limping Lucifer.

Lucifer gently pulled Gabriel to his feet, frowning at the blood dripping from his lip and the bruise forming over his jaw. He splayed his hand protectively over Gabriel’s back and guided him up the stairs, Sam, Dean and Cas trailing behind.

“Lucifer,” sputtered Zachariah in a mixture of shock and an attempt to prove that he was head of the household and he didn’t approve of his children beating each other up, but with a sharp glare and a threatening snarl from Lucifer, the older alpha quickly snapped his mouth shut and bowed his head submissively.

Lucifer rumbled warningly as he climbed the rest of the stairs, scent sending off waves of protectiveness over his new friends.

“Anyone touches any of them again, I’ll rip their throat out,” he growled darkly before disappearing from view, leaving the rest of his family to stare after him in stunned silence.

 

* * *

 

Once Cas, Sam and Dean had shuffled into Cas’ room, Sam whispering _“Your brother is so cool!”_ as they vanished, Lucifer led Gabriel into his room. He gently pushed the omega onto his bed without a word and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned with a cold flannel and sat beside the younger man.

“I should be doing this to you,” whispered Gabriel as Lucifer carefully cleaned the blood from his lip and soothed the bruise on his jaw. “You’re the one who’s all torn up.”

“I know you hate gender stereotypes,” murmured Lucifer, “but just this once could you let me take care of you? Humour me just this once?”

Gabriel took in the scent of an adrenaline and testosterone-fuelled alpha desperately trying to calm himself and he nodded and relaxed into Lucifer’s gentle tending of his wounds.

Lucifer was being so tender and soft with him and that protective scent was doing such wonderful things to Gabriel’s soul and mind, that the omega decided he needed to show the alpha just how grateful he was that Lucifer had defended him so valiantly. 

He closed his eyes and leaned into Lucifer’s palm, purring quietly and Lucifer’s breath hitched in wonder before he was rumbling in approval, showing Gabriel just how much he appreciated what the omega was trying to do.

Gabriel chuckled and purred a little louder, smirking when Lucifer’s scent grew even more protective, a hint of possessiveness edging in too. He grinned when Lucifer tugged him closer and he lightly pushed the alpha’s hand away from his face as he lay his head against Lucifer’s chest.

Lucifer wrapped his arms around him as he continued rumbling and Gabriel felt a strong sense of contentedness settle over him as the vibrations trembled through his body. His soul was leaping at Lucifer, frantically trying to get to him and the alpha must have felt it too because he squeezed Gabriel a little tighter.

“Let’s get that cheek cleaned up,” murmured Gabe after a few moments and he struggled to pull away from Lucifer because he didn’t like the coldness of being out of the alpha’s arms.

He eventually made it and took the flannel off Lucifer, trudging to the bathroom to clean it. When he returned, he felt it appropriate to perch in Lucifer’s lap and the alpha was all too happy to slide his arms around him to steady him.

Gabriel worked slowly, but he had a feeling that was because he liked how relaxed Lucifer looked when he closed his eyes and leaned into Gabriel’s touch. The alpha was very handsome.

“I can’t believe you fought your brother for me,” whispered Gabriel. 

“You’re worth fighting for,” murmured Lucifer and Gabriel’s heart melted when the alpha glanced up at him, blue eyes sparkling with sincerity.

“You stole my trick,” he smirked and Lucifer quirked his lips. 

“It was an effective move.”

Gabriel grinned before the expression faded and a frown took its place as he gazed at Lucifer’s clawed cheek.

“Don’t like seeing you hurt,” he whispered and Lucifer lightly grazed his thumb over Gabriel’s split lip.

“I think I made it quite clear how I feel about you being hurt.” He gently cupped Gabriel’s cheek. “You are far too beautiful to hurt. Inside and out.”

Gabriel’s breath caught in his throat and his soul hammered at his chest.

“You smell amazing,” breathed Lucifer. “Like maple syrup and strawberries. It’s addicting and to have it tainted with fear and pain like it was before…” He shook his head. “I lost control. I needed to get him away from you. You don’t deserve cruelness. You deserve fun and happiness and love, like you give everyone else.”

Lucifer’s thumb was brushing over Gabriel’s cheek soothingly and combined with the alpha’s gorgeous chestnut and sea salt scent and his protective rumbling, Gabriel finally gave in.

“Are you gonna kiss me or not?” He whispered and a look of confusion graced Lucifer’s face before a brilliant smile of realisation slowly replaced it and he leaned in to press his eager lips against the omega’s soft ones.

They both pulled back with a grimace.

“That tasted like blood,” said Lucifer as Gabriel nodded in agreement. 

“And now my lip is sore,” the omega admitted and Lucifer shot him an apologetic glance.

Gabriel sighed and leaned his head against Lucifer’s chest, smiling when the alpha’s arms slipped around him.

“Not quite the fairy-tale kiss I was hoping for,” he quipped as Lucifer smoothed a hand over his back.

“At least you didn’t turn into a frog.”

Gabriel snorted and snuggled into the alpha. “Maybe we should try that again when we’re not as beaten up.”

“Looking forward to it,” hummed Lucifer as he nuzzled Gabriel’s hair. 

“Despite us both being sore and bruised, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy,” murmured Gabriel after a few minutes and he snickered when the alpha let out a loud, pleased rumble.

“Let me guess, you didn’t mean to do that?” Gabriel teased and Lucifer cocked an eyebrow as he pressed his lips against Gabriel’s head.

“I absolutely meant to do that,” he murmured. “Tell me you’re happy in my arms again and I’ll do a louder one.”

Gabriel grinned. “I love feeling safe and wanted in your arms.”

Lucifer rumbled louder and Gabriel snickered and nuzzled the alpha’s throat.

“I love you,” whispered Gabriel. “I don’t want to wait to say it because I know I already love you. You’ve changed so much for me and you’ve stood up for me and defended me against your family and I never thought I’d find anyone like you but here you are. Even though we butted heads at first and we never saw eye to eye, you were willing to change. I love you because underneath this sly, smug, snarky exterior, you are so full of love and protectiveness and care, not only for me, but for Cas and Dean and Sam too. I love you because you can be so mischievous and playful, yet you’re also intelligent and logical, and although you can be as stubborn as an ox sometimes, I love you for that too because it makes you determined to do what’s right. I just love everything about you, from your handsome features to your warm heart.”

Lucifer rumbled fiercely as he tugged Gabriel into his chest and curled around him.

“Mine,” the alpha growled and Gabriel laughed freely as Lucifer peppered kisses over his neck and throat. “My omega,” Lucifer whispered as he nuzzled Gabriel throat and placed an adoring kiss to it. “My soulmate.”

Gabriel smiled and closed his eyes as Lucifer doted on him. “My alpha,” he breathed and Lucifer rumbled happily.

It was a few minutes before Lucifer’s scent calmed down from _‘possessive alpha’_ to _‘relaxed human’_.

“You know, you were supposed to be helping calm my instincts, not relighting them,” he muttered drily and Gabriel quirked a grin.

“Since when have I ever done anything I’m told to do?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes but kissed the omega’s head anyway. They held each other for a few moments before Gabriel broke the silence.

“Move in with me.”

Lucifer blinked. “Aren’t we going a bit fast?”

Gabriel shook his head. “I mean you and Cas and Sam and Dean. The Winchesters clearly can’t stay here and I doubt Cas will want to leave Dean any time soon. You don’t have to come if you’d prefer to stay, but since I’m going to ask the others anyway, I thought I might give you the option.”

Lucifer tilted his head. “Do you have enough room for all of us?”

“I have two bedrooms, each with double beds and the couch is a recliner. I don’t see why not.”

Lucifer shrugged. “Then yes. I’m not certain I can keep myself restrained around Michael anymore.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Anna was smiling.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“When you grabbed his crotch and yanked, Anna smiled.”

Lucifer hummed in amusement. “She’s probably dreamed of doing that for years.”

Gabriel relaxed against Lucifer, tucking his head under his chin. “Every omega your brother has ever met has dreamed of doing that to him.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Anna,” murmured Lucifer. “When she’s ready to tell us what’s going on between her and Michael, I’ll make sure there's someone there to listen.”

Gabriel closed his eyes with a smile. “This is why I love you.”

He snickered when Lucifer rumbled deeply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun game #4: Buy a puppy for every time you cheered Lucifer on ;)


	30. Hello, Officer

It was inevitable that the day would come. Good things never lasted forever.

They had move into Gabriel’s home three days prior. The house was bright and richly furnished and everything about it screamed _‘Gabriel’_. He even had a candy cupboard in his kitchen made to look like an actual chocolate bar. 

Lucifer immediately felt a sense of _home_ the moment he walked through the door because the whole house smelled like his omega and his alpha was basking in it. He had a strange urge to curl up on the couch and bury his nose in the cushions just so he could surround himself in that sweet strawberry and syrup scent. 

Sam, Dean and Cas had been a little more wary when entering the house. Whilst they knew Gabriel’s scent, they weren’t related to him and they didn’t know him as well as Lucifer did, so it felt a little like they were trespassing in someone else’s territory. Gabriel had soon sorted that out though, and by the time night rolled around, the trio were quite comfortable sitting in front of the TV in the lounge, wearing their pyjamas and sharing the biggest box of popcorn any of them had ever seen as Harry Potter blared through the surround-sound speakers.

Three days later and they were in a similar position again. The moon was shining brightly and Gabriel stuck a horror film on before sitting on one of the couches and chuckling to himself when Lucifer lay his head in his lap. He stroked the alpha’s hair and grinned when Lucifer began to rumble low and content.

Dean and Cas were on the opposite couch, the omega leaning on the alpha’s shoulder as Cas curled a hand around him and every so often Cas would nuzzle Dean’s hair and the omega would smile and press a light kiss to his jaw.

Sam was on the floor, sitting cross-legged as he chewed on a very long, blueberry liquorice cable. Whenever Dean and Cas got too affectionate, he would throw a piece at them and Dean would either eat it or throw it back.

There was a knock at the door.

Gabriel glanced at Lucifer’s watch and raised an eyebrow. Who could be knocking at eleven-fifteen? He managed to wriggle away from a pouting Lucifer and opened the door, tilting his head at the two older beta police men on the other side.

“Officers? What can I do for you?” Gabriel asked in confusion and the dark-skinned one sized him up for a second.

“I’m Officer Turner and this is Officer Singer. Are you Gabriel Speight?”

“I am,” said Gabriel as Lucifer came to stand by his side, slipping a protective arm around the omega.

Officer Turner glanced at Lucifer warily. “Lucifer Novak?” He asked and the alpha nodded.

“What do either of you know about a Sam and Dean Winchester?”

Gabriel tilted his head. “I know they’re sitting in my living room watching _‘Oculus’_.”

Turner and Singer glanced at one another.

“Their father called us about abduction,” frowned Singer and Gabriel curled his mouth up in distaste.

“Ah good. It’s only taken him just under three weeks to even notice they were missing.”

Singer cocked an eyebrow. “You admit to abducting these boys?”

“I admit to rescuing these boys from a drunken father who beat them black and blue with a belt.”

Singer’s lips drew into a thin line. “You wish to claim child abuse as your reason for taking these kids from their father?”

“They came to me,” corrected Gabriel. “Actually, they went to the Novak household but their parents and his brothers,” he jerked a thumb at Lucifer, “decided they were above children in need of help. So I brought them here. I also have Castiel Novak with me in case his parents decided to accuse me of kidnapping their son as well.” Might as well be truthful.

“Could we take a look at the boys?” Asked Officer Singer and Gabriel stepped aside for them.

“This is Officer Turner and Officer Singer,” said Gabriel when Sam, Dean and Cas glanced over at the strange betas in confusion. “They’ve come because your father has claimed child abduction.”

“It only took him two and half weeks,” huffed Sam, crossing his arms over his chest. “Probably too drunk to notice we were gone.”

Dean glanced between Gabriel and the officers. “He didn’t abduct us. He rescued us. Don’t punish Gabriel; he’s done nothing wrong.”

Officer Singer watched the brothers for a few moments. “Could you both stand up for me?”

The pair slowly did as asked and both officers walked over to a boy.

“Your friend told me your father hit you,” murmured Singer as Turner presumably said something similar to Sam. “But I need evidence of that. Any chance of you showing me some? Might help to get your friend out of this fix.”

After a moment of hesitation from Dean, Cas gently squeezed his shoulder.

“You can’t go back there, Dean,” he whispered. “What if he does it again?”

Dean nodded and cautiously raised his shirt to show the officer the faded bruises littering his stomach and chest.

Singer frowned and Dean dropped his shirt. The policeman looked over to his partner and Turner’s mouth was a grim line as he nodded.

“Well, Dean, this is certainly enough for us to take your father to court and obviously, we won’t take you back to him unless he’s proven innocent. You are legally an adult, so if you wish to remain here, you can…” Singer glanced over at Sam, troubled. “But your brother’s only fourteen. He can’t stay here because of the abduction claim. If your father’s found innocent and the courts declare that you have been abducted by Mister Speight… I’m sure you can see why that’s a problem.”

Dean frowned. “You can’t separate us.”

“It’s protocol to put Sam in a foster home or at least a temporary home until the court date, where you’ll both be asked to testify,” explained Singer and Dean scowled. 

“But Gabriel’s done nothing wrong. He saved us. Why can’t we just stay here?”

“I’m sorry, kid, but the law’s the law. I can’t change it,” sighed Singer.

“You’re not gonna stick me in some weird house half way across the country are you?” Sam asked with wide eyes. “I don’t want to leave here. I have friends here, I go to school here. My brother’s here.”

Singer licked his lips. “I’m sorry kid, but there aren’t any available foster homes around here and you can’t stay so close to your father. If he is abusing you, and after what you’ve shown us, I have no doubt that he is, we can’t let you be near him whilst he’s free to wander until his court date. I know it sucks, but this is a very serious crime and we just want to make sure you’re safe.”

“I don’t want to leave Dean,” whimpered Sam and Dean shook his head. 

“Wherever you go, I go,” he stated. “They won’t break us apart.”

“But… you won’t be able to see Cas,” whispered Sam and Cas smiled sadly. “It’s only until the court date. Then you can come back.”

“The court date could be months away,” protested Sam before scowling. “That’s so unfair! Why does Dad even want us back? He’s never cared about us before but suddenly he’s worried we’ve been kidnapped? Does he just want something to yell at and hit?”

Singer sighed. “It’s most likely if he is abusing you, he doesn’t want anyone knowing. If he realises you’ve gone missing, that means you could tell someone and get him in a lot of trouble, like he is now. He probably wanted to place the blame on someone else.”

Sam slumped. “I don’t want to go.”

Singer shrugged helplessly. “I’m sorry, kid, but there’s nothing I can do.”

“You could take him,” drawled Lucifer and Singer blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re a police officer. You can protect him and I’m sure you must live fairly nearby. Within this region, at least. Sam won’t have to move states and he could stay in the school he’s used to, around the people he calls friends.” Lucifer cocked an eyebrow. “Afterall, in such a traumatic and difficult time for Sam, you want to make him comfortable, don’t you? Taking him from his friends and school and sticking him in a strange house with strange people half way across the country isn’t exactly going to make him happy. His grades could start slipping and his social skills could turn sour and there goes his chance at getting a full scholarship at Stanford.”

Singer frowned. “He’s in middle school.”

“Are you saying middle school doesn’t matter?” Gasped Lucifer dramatically. “Are you implying that the education system is so broken that it doesn’t matter what we teach our kids until they get to fifteen?”

Singer snapped his mouth shut as he shifted uncomfortably. “That’s not… that’s not what I was saying. I just meant that… I mean… I can’t look after him. I’m not qualified.”

“You’re not qualified for parenting?” Lucifer asked, unimpressed.

Singer scowled. “No, I mean, I’m not… I can’t… I’m an officer! I don’t have time to look after a kid!”

“Sammy here wants to be a lawyer,” Gabriel said, catching onto Lucifer’s line of thinking. “You could teach him an awful lot about the law, right, Sir?” He turned to Sam. “What would you say to having first-hand experience with such an accomplished, skilled officer?”

Sam blinked in understanding. “I’d say it would be perfect to put on my personal statement when I go to college. It would certainly set me apart from the other applications.”

Singer’s mouth drew down in defeat.

“Helping the younger generations pursue their ambitions,” hummed Gabriel. “It’s a noble act, Officer.”

“I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work,” huffed Singer. “You’re not going to guilt trip me into this. I can’t look after a kid. I’m sorry.”

“Sure you can, Bobby. Let’s be honest; we ain’t the youngest kids on the force. They don’t give us trying cases, heck, this is the most dangerous thing we’ve done in the past three years; an abduction case. We’re not exactly risking our lives here,” grinned Turner.

“Don’t encourage them, idjit,” groaned Singer, whose first name was apparently ‘Bobby’.

“I’m just saying that maybe it’ll be a bit of excitement for you. I mean, you never have any fun. Your job is the most exciting thing in your life and your house looks like you don’t even live in it. Maybe having a couple of older kids running around won’t be so bad,” said Turner, looking like he was enjoying himself far too much. “They’ll keep you young.”

“You don’t have anyone at home. Why don’t you take ‘em?” Huffed Bobby and Turner shook his head. 

“I go to Church on Sundays. I doubt they’d want to come with me every Sunday morning. And besides, I have two Rottweilers at home; they’re not exactly family pets.”

Bobby glared at Turner, who grinned innocently, before he sighed and deflated.

“Alright, alright,” Bobby muttered. “I’ll take ‘em. Until the court date. Then you can come back here.”

Lucifer smirked as Gabriel winked at a beaming Sam.

“But you two have got to stay away from Sam until then, okay? That means no contact whatsoever with him. There’s nothing I can do about that,” said Bobby sternly and Lucifer and Gabriel nodded solemnly.

“As long as you look after them,” warned Lucifer subtly and Bobby shuddered at the alpha’s tone. He had no doubt Lucifer could be extremely dangerous when he wanted to be and he wouldn’t like to try his chances with the man.

“Right. Say your goodbyes then and I’ll take you to your new accommodation,” huffed Bobby gruffly before turning to his partner. “And _you_ can write up the report.”

Turner’s eyes widened in indignation. “Now hold up a minute- ”

“Well I can’t do it. I have kids to look after,” smirked Bobby and Turner scowled before marching towards the door, grumbling to himself all the way.

Sam hugged Lucifer and Gabriel tightly and the pair wrapped their arms around him as they exchanged soft farewells. Cas kissed Dean tenderly on the lips and the omega raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you saying goodbye?”

Cas quirked his lips. “I just wanted an excuse to kiss you.”

“Ah well, goodbye, Angel,” chuckled Dean as he pressed their mouths together again. “See you tomorrow,” he winked and Cas smiled at the pet name as he leaned their heads together.

“C’mon,” called Bobby as he opened the door and the brothers trailed after him, Dean whispering a quiet ‘thank you’ to both Gabriel and Lucifer as he left.

The brothers climbed into the squad car and watched Gabriel’s house fade into the distance as they drove away.

 

* * *

 

“If you wish to take over the company, first you have to prove you can solve any problems that may appear. I’m going to give each of you a difficult situation to find a solution to and whoever is the quickest and most efficient at solving their problem will earn the most points,” announced Zachariah as he regarded Michael and Raphael proudly. He glanced distastefully at Lucifer and the blue-eyed alpha rolled his eyes. 

Their father often pitted them against each other like this when it came to finding the most suitable candidate to take over the company once he retired. They were constantly given challenges or scenarios to run through and whoever found a solution the fastest got the most points. So far Michael was winning, but only by a few points and Lucifer wasn’t that far behind. 

Not that he particularly cared about running the company.

Lucifer sighed. He didn’t want to be here. He’d much rather be at home with Gabriel than deal with his family’s arrogant sneering and haughty words. He had never been all that bothered about running the company but his parents had told him when he was around Cas’ age that he was expected to go into the family business like Michael, and he had never backed down from a challenge regarding his brother. He had been more interested in trying to prove that he could be just as efficient and intelligent as Michael, but he had no real love for the company. He found the work boring and repetitive; too much paperwork and not enough action. Since meeting the vibrant and lively Gabriel, the job had only become duller.

“Michael, I’m giving you a tricky situation regarding a bad trade deal with a large, powerful company that you’ve placed fifty percent of your stock in. They’ve folded and if you can’t get your money back, you’ll have to fire seventy five percent of your employees and you’ll cut production efficiency by sixty percent,” Zachariah turned to Raphael.

“To you, I’m giving a contract error. You didn’t read the contract correctly and missed the clause a large company slipped in where it stated they wish to buy you out. They now own you and you need to find a way to take back your part of the company otherwise you’re at risk of losing your job and assets.”

His mouth drew into a thin line as he turned to Lucifer.

“Somebody has hacked your IT department. They’re taking all the finances and you can’t trace the source. They’ve stopped you from accessing any assets so you can’t remove them from the system and if you don’t hurry, you’re going to be bankrupt very quickly.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. Their father had never taught any of them about the IT department because it was a specialist area and the people who worked there had been training for years to run the systems as efficiently as they did. Lucifer knew nothing about how the systems worked; his father just told the technicians what he wanted and they put the necessary programmes and codes in place to make sure everything ran as it should.

His father was purposefully setting him up to fail.

Lucifer snorted in disbelief.

“You have two weeks to find a solution to your problems. You must fix them on your own with no outside help. Good luck,” hummed Zachariah and Michael and Raphael nodded determinedly as Lucifer scowled.

“That’s not fair,” he huffed. “You’ve given me a scenario you know full-well that I have no hopes of solving.”

“Stop whining, Lucifer,” growled Michael and Lucifer’s lips twitched upwards at Michael’s slightly crooked nose. “If you have such a defeatist attitude, you clearly aren’t fit to run the company.”

Zachariah nodded. “Your brother’s correct. Stop complaining and get the job done. You whine about everything; I don’t know why you can’t be more like your brothers.”

Lucifer bristled. He hated it when his parents asked why he couldn’t be more like Michael or Raphael. He was constantly being compared to his older brother, told he was never as good as him or as intelligent or as strong as Michael. He was always less than Michael. Ever since he’d been a child, he’d known his brother was better than him at everything. No matter what he did, it felt like his parents wanted Michael to succeed over him.

When Gabriel barrelled head first into his life, the omega had been the first person to tell him that he was no less of an alpha than his brother. Gabriel had told him it was okay to seek support from friends and that he was allowed to express his emotions without looking weak, even if Michael never did those sorts of things. Gabriel told him that admitting when he couldn’t solve something on his own and asking for help made him more intelligent than stubbornly working on something he didn’t understand with no hopes of succeeding. 

Gabriel was the first person to tell him to stop comparing himself to Michael because he was his own person and he had qualities about him that Michael could never dream of having. The omega told him he would much rather have Lucifer as he was than have another clone of Michael wandering around the Earth.

Gabriel was in love with Lucifer, not Michael.

Lucifer smiled at that. He had a fun, sassy, gorgeous omega waiting for him at home and when he walked through that door, he knew Gabriel would throw his arms around him and tug him into a deep, passionate kiss, just like he did every time Lucifer came home after him. Then Gabriel would drag him into the kitchen without giving the alpha a chance to speak, and the omega would chatter excitedly about whatever had happened at the restaurant that day as he returned to cooking their evening meal, and Lucifer would smile silently as he listened, wrapping his arms around his omega as the smell of Gabriel’s wonderful cooking swirled around the house, embracing them with mouth-watering flavours. He would press his nose into Gabriel’s neck and scent him contentedly as the omega continued to talk away and Lucifer would once again feel like the luckiest alpha in the world.

Michael didn’t have that, did he?

Gabriel had said a few other things too. Things like how he shouldn’t spend his life catering to his parents’ expectations and since he only got one shot at life, he should do what he wanted with it and not waste it on living the plan his parents had set out for him. He had contemplated these words many times before, but today was the first time he’d felt an urge to really listen and do something about them.

He didn’t want the company, and if his parents were going to set him up to fail, what was the point in continuing? He would just waste more time. Time that could be spent being with someone he actually cared about and who actually cared about him. 

All his life he’d been told Michael was better than him, so maybe instead of trying to impress the people who thought like that, he should focus more on the person who didn’t. Gabriel was the only one who believed in him; maybe he should start taking his advice instead of those who had never believed in him.

“What am I doing? I don’t want to be here,” murmured Lucifer aloud and Zachariah, Michael and Raphael cocked an eyebrow at him.

“What was that, boy?” Huffed Zachariah and Lucifer snapped his gaze up to him.

“I said I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“What are you grumbling about now?” Asked Michael irritably and Lucifer rolled his eyes before turning to his father.

“You’re clearly going to give the company to Michael. But you know what? I’m okay with that because I don’t want to work here anyway. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in an office doing endless mounds of paperwork. I don’t want to become you.” He shook his head with a small smile as the epiphany struck.

“I don’t want to devote my life to a job I have no interest in, constantly trying to impress you and mother and Michael and Raph. There’s an omega at home that loves me and I… I love him too. Why should I spend all my time here when I could be with him? With someone who believes in me and never tells me I’m not as good as someone else? He loves his job; why should I hate mine?”

Zachariah blinked. “Out with it, boy. What are you trying to say?”

Lucifer snorted in amusement. His father could be really dim sometimes. 

“I’m saying I quit.” He snapped his ID tag off his neck and threw it at his father’s feet before whirling smartly on his heel and marching towards the elevator.

“Don’t be childish,” scoffed Michael as their father stared after him in wordless disbelief. “What else would you do? Where would you go? You need money to pay the bills,” his brother called and Lucifer paused contemplatively as he waited for the elevator. He remembered a dream he’d had as a child and he thought it didn’t sound too bad. It would certainly be better than a desk job.

“Play violin,” he hummed before stepping into the elevator and leaving his gaping family behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just got the epilogue to go now to tie up all the loose ends :)


	31. Happily ever after...?

It was six months before John finally entered the courtroom. He was cold and stony-faced as he took his seat, refusing to look at his sons even when they were on trial. The judge ruled him guilty of child abuse and when the older alpha was escorted from the room, final destination: prison, he finally looked at his sons. His eyes were hooded with disgust.

Dean looked away; Sam didn’t.

Bobby tightened his grip on both boys’ shoulders.

As the crowds started to disperse, both Winchesters spotted Gabriel, Lucifer and Castiel waiting near the doors with subdued smiles. Sam and Dean paced over to them and their smiles brightened.

Gabriel and Lucifer tugged both boys into relieved hugs and they continued to hold Sam as Dean moved to Cas. It was the first time they’d all been allowed to be together for six months.

Just as Bobby wandered over with a small, pleased smile of his own, Gabriel asked if they were ready to move back in with him, Lucifer and Cas. Bobby’s expression wavered.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other before turning back to Gabriel with sheepish expressions.

“Actually,” Dean said quietly. “We were wondering if it would be cool if we stayed with Bobby? He doesn’t live too far away and you already have a full house anyway.”

Gabriel and the Novaks watched in fascination as Bobby puffed his chest out slightly in no small amount of pride.

“Whatever makes you happy, kiddo,” said Gabriel, cocking an amused eyebrow and both Winchesters grinned at Bobby excitedly, the beta rolling his eyes in an attempt at irritation, but it was clear by his scent that he was ecstatic about the development.

“Go on, get outta here,” huffed Bobby gruffly, trying to dissolve the emotional moment. “I’m sure you kids have a lot to talk about.” He shooed them away and in a bout of appreciation after such a difficult and traumatic time leading up to the case and its verdict, Sam and Dean pulled Bobby into a bone-crushing hug with whispers of gratefulness. 

Then the five younger men made their way out of the courtroom, wanting to catch up after so much lost time.

Bobby watched them go with a smile and a warm feeling budding in his chest.

 

* * *

_**Four months later** _

When Meg opened her front door, she immediately tried to slam it shut again upon seeing the pale blue eyes gazing at her from the other side.

Lucifer jammed his foot in front of it, grimacing as it nearly sliced the appendage off.

“I’m sorry,” he offered simply and Meg’s furious scowl faded into something angry yet curious.

“I’m sorry for how I treated you,” he said once he realised he’d grabbed her attention. “I’m sorry for making three years of your life miserable enough that you needed someone else to tell you you were worth something. I’m sorry for hurting you and abusing you and treating you like less than a human being. I don’t deserve any form of forgiveness but I wanted to apologise for my behaviour,” murmured Lucifer stiffly, but it was clear he was ashamed and Meg cracked the door open a little wider as she frowned.

“You’re right, you don’t deserve forgiveness,” she said suspiciously and Lucifer nodded.

“Regardless, I’m still sorry for everything I ever said or did to hurt or humiliate you. No one deserves that kind of treatment, least of all the one person I was supposed to protect.”

Meg opened the door and crossed her arms. “If you’re trying to get me back, you might as well go home. I’m mated. To someone I care about.” She eyed him in distaste. “And he is twice the alpha you’ll ever be.”

Lucifer snapped his mouth shut as his gaze dropped to his feet, scent radiating waves of apology and shame.

“Luci’s not here to get you back. Like he said, he came to apologise,” smirked Gabriel as he placed himself in view of Meg and leaned on the alpha, a slight challenge in his eyes.

Meg blinked in surprise. “Wait, you two are still…?” She trailed off as her gaze darted between them and Gabriel winked at his friend.

“I thought you broke up,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I remember you saying he was beginning to change, but when I didn’t see you for a while, I just assumed… I thought he’d gone back to abusing you.” She glanced at Gabriel expectantly. 

“Sorry about not visiting,” shrugged Gabriel. “I was a little busy with court dates and the restaurant and _well_ …” he glanced at Lucifer coyly before snapping his gaze back to Meg. “Luci said we should swing by for a visit.”

Meg lifted an eyebrow. “Wait, so…”

“I really did come to apologise,” murmured Lucifer as her gaze slowly trailed to him. “I know you can never forgive me, but I just wanted to let you know I’ll never forgive myself either for the way I treated you. I hope your alpha treats you far better than I did. You deserve happiness, Meg, and I wish you all the best in finding that with your mate.”

Meg stared at him for a few moments before her gaze flicked to Gabriel’s smirk and after a minute she stepped aside.

“He’ll be home in an hour. You should meet him.”

Lucifer blinked in honest shock. He hadn’t thought Meg would be willing to spare him even a glance but Gabriel squeezed his arm gently and led him inside.

“This isn’t me forgiving you,” huffed Meg as they followed her into the lounge and Lucifer nodded his understanding. “But if Gabriel trusts you to not be a complete psychopath…”

Lucifer kept quiet as he sat beside Gabriel on the couch and Meg watched lifted both eyebrows when the alpha clasped his hands on his lap and lowered his gaze politely.

“Huh,” she hummed before glancing to Gabriel. “Hot chocolate?”

“Sounds great,” the omega grinned and she disappeared into the kitchen to make three mugs.

When she returned, she handed the drinks over and sat down on the opposite couch and the trio chatted, a little awkwardly at first, but Lucifer surprised Meg by being civil and calm and eventually, when Meg’s mate returned home, she was the first to jump to Lucifer’s defence when the alpha started snarling at the man who’d hurt his mate all those months ago.

“He’s… different,” was all she said and her tone was enough to calm her mate as he sat beside her and tugged her into his side protectively, glaring at Lucifer as he did so.

However, as the night progressed, both Meg and her mate realised just how much Lucifer had changed. Whether it was the warm, fond gazes the alpha subtly shot Gabriel, or the way his voice softened whenever he spoke of the omega, or the way his thumb rubbed absent-minded circles into Gabriel’s shoulder when he draped a gentle arm around him; it was clear something about the alpha was different. 

Meg managed a small smile when she bid them farewell and something old and bitter in her soul melted away when Lucifer wished her and her mate a happy life together.

“You too,” she said before she could stop the words and Lucifer’s resulting smile made her heart warm.

When the pair returned home, Gabriel wrapped his arms around his lover and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered and Lucifer’s soul jolted towards Gabriel’s. 

The alpha quirked his lips and nuzzled his omega’s cheek. He scented Gabriel’s neck, just because he could and chuckled at how easily the omega bared his throat for him. He pressed a kiss to the pale skin before tucking Gabriel’s head under his chin.

“I love you,” whispered Lucifer just so he could feel Gabriel snuggle into him. 

This past year had been a whirlwind of changes. Lucifer had quit his job working for his father and had explained to Gabriel that he wanted to do something he enjoyed; something to do with music. Gabriel had been ecstatic and the two had set out to find something that would cater to Lucifer’s passion. At first, it was frustrating; there seemed to be no jobs around involving music and Lucifer wasn’t fond of the idea of teaching violin to eight-year-olds. After weeks of searching, Lucifer was on the verge of defeat and was considering getting another office job just so he wouldn’t feel like he was leeching off Gabriel’s income.

Then, whilst walking through town, he’d spotted a flyer advertising a philharmonic orchestra concert. 

They attended the concert (which was really quite spectacular) and after a bit of encouragement from Gabriel, the alpha had asked the musical director if he had space for one more. 

He did. Back desk of the second violins.

The musical director told him they rehearsed for four hours every two days and the practice room was approximately thirty miles away. If he wanted the seat, he had to be at rehearsal the following day at two-thirty sharp and audition in front of a panel of three people, who would judge him on two pre-rehearsed pieces and a piece they would give to him on the day to sight-read.

Lucifer was hesitant; he didn’t know if he had enough talent to pull that off, but Gabriel nodded with a grin, thanked the conductor and told him Lucifer would be there, before whisking the nervous alpha away.

When they returned to the car, Lucifer insisted he couldn’t do it, but Gabriel scowled and told him to ‘quit whining’, get two of the pieces he’d composed himself, practice them until his fingers were numb and tomorrow, show that orchestra what real talent was.

Lucifer gulped, taken off-guard by the military-like tone but once he got home he did as he’d been told. If Gabriel believed in him, then he would try his best to make his omega proud.

He got the job.

His starting salary was pretty dire, but the longer he stayed with them and the more he climbed the ranks and toured with them, the higher his pay would increase. 

A couple of years later, he would find himself as the lead violinist of the orchestra, composing pieces for them as well as playing them, but as it was, he was currently on the front row of the second violins and he had never enjoyed his work so greatly.

Gabriel was still working at the restaurant, but he suddenly found himself with a family; something he’d never thought he’d have again. He had a lover and a young alpha living in his house (who he practically considered his little brother) and the Winchesters who were at his house nearly every day and might as well be considered family as well. 

He and Lucifer had been having talks of marriage recently and Gabriel’s soul fluttered with joy whenever he thought about it because marriage usually led to mating and he wanted nothing more than to be completely and utterly Lucifer’s. The alpha had given him everything he’d thought he would never have and he couldn’t imagine spending his life without him. He suddenly looked forward to coming home from work because he knew Lucifer would be waiting for him.

“I love you too,” whispered Gabriel, relaxing into his lover’s hold.

As they held each other close, scenting and nuzzling each other as the moon dragged itself into the night sky, Lucifer pressed a kiss to Gabriel’s head and the omega shifted to capture his lips.

“Thank you,” Gabriel whispered softly and the alpha tilted his head. “For everything. For being the alpha I never thought I’d have. For giving me a second chance at a family. For loving me.”

Lucifer’s gaze softened as he traced a thumb over the omega’s cheek.

“I should be thanking you for sticking with me. For never giving up despite me being an insufferable, knot-headed jerk.” His eyes turned troubled. “For not putting up with my abuse.”

Gabriel frowned and kissed his lover reassuringly. “It’s in the past. Besides, I’m not exactly innocent; I hit and pushed you around too, remember?”

“Self-defence,” dismissed Lucifer quietly before nuzzling the omega’s cheek. He closed his eyes as he inhaled Gabriel’s sweet syrupy-strawberry scent. “I’m so lucky to have you,” he mumbled as he tugged the omega closer. 

Gabriel stood on his toes as he leaned up to kiss the alpha’s mouth. Their kisses turned from gentle and affectionate to something a bit more passionate as Lucifer slowly backed his lover into the wall. 

Hands pinned the omega’s wrists above his head as lips danced over his jaw, nipping and sucking every so often until Gabriel was a puddle of purring happiness.

Those hands then ran down his sides and under his shirt, desperate to touch the omega anywhere and everywhere and Gabriel tangled his fingers into Lucifer’s hair as his other hand smoothed over his chest. Lips collided and noses bumped as tongues slid together and Lucifer growled softly, possessively as he pressed up against his magnificent, charismatic, intelligent omega.

Aroused scents mingling, Gabriel released a little moan when Lucifer rolled his hips teasingly and the omega in him wanted nothing more than to present to the alpha and be claimed by him.

Their breathing deepened as they exchanged heated kisses and fevered touches, before Lucifer was nosing at Gabriel’s throat.

“I can’t wait anymore,” the alpha whispered. “I don’t want to follow tradition. I don’t want to wait until after marriage to claim you. I need you now.”

Gabriel’s heart was hammering in his chest with excitement. Was Lucifer really asking what he thought he was? His soul seemed to think so; it was whizzing around his body like a ball in a pinball machine.

The alpha captured his lips deeply. “Mate me,” he breathed. “Gabriel, please. I can’t wait any longer.”

Gabriel didn’t bother asking if he was sure or if he was worried about what his parents might think. Frankly, he didn’t care if he never saw Mr and Mrs Novak again after the way they’d practically disowned their son in the past year. So he surged forwards, nipping at Lucifer’s jaw as his hand rode up the alpha’s shirt.

“Yes,” he hissed and he wasn’t ashamed of the pleasured whimper that escaped him when Lucifer growled.

The alpha ravished his mouth and Gabriel nearly groaned at feeling Lucifer’s hardness pressing into him. When they finally pulled apart to gasp for breath, Gabriel tightened his grip on the alpha’s hair.

“Bedroom,” he breathed. “You’re gonna knot me hard and then you’re gonna mark me as yours.” He nipped at Lucifer’s lip, dragging it between his teeth erotically. “I’m gonna bend over and spread my legs for my alpha. Present on my hands and knees as he knots my dripping hole and sinks his teeth into my neck.”

“No,” snarled Lucifer as he claimed Gabriel’s lips with enough force to make their teeth clash. Gabriel loved it. 

“You are going to lie on your back and let me worship your body like you deserve,” hissed Lucifer. “You are going to let me see your face as I take you apart. I’m going to touch and kiss and lick every part of you before I even think of knotting you, and only then will I claim you; sink my teeth into your throat where everyone can see that you belong to me.

“I want to taste you,” whispered Lucifer. “I want to taste your sweet slick and I want to hear you moan as I lick you open. I want to suck every part of you,” he cupped Gabriel’s tented jeans, “and I want to see you writhe with pleasure beneath me. And when I knot you, I’m going to draw it out. Slow, deep thrusts so I get to touch you for longer; so I can hear more of your groans and whimpers; so I can bury myself in your wet heat for longer.”

He nipped at the omega’s jaw in promise of what was to come.

“You don’t deserve to be treated like an animal; pushed onto all fours and knotted from behind like some wild dog. I refuse to knot and mate you so… coldly. 

“You deserve love and passion. You deserve to be taken care of; to be treated like something precious and breathtaking, because you are, Gabriel. You are magnificent and inspiring and far too good for me, and I’m going to do my best to show you how grateful I am that you chose to spend your life with me. If I’m to make you mine, I’m going to do it properly.”

Gabriel was pretty sure his heart had skipped a few beats. His soul was desperately trying to reach Lucifer’s and he was surprised to find himself holding back tears of joy. This alpha truly loved him; wanted him more than anyone else ever had or would. He, a lonely, affection-starved little orphan omega, was loved by this fiercely protective, stunningly handsome, clever alpha.

“Luci,” he whimpered, overwhelmed and the alpha cupped his cheek tenderly. 

“Let me take care of you?” Whispered Lucifer softly and Gabriel nodded, allowing himself to be led into the bedroom, where he completely lost himself to his alpha.

 

* * *

 

Much later saw Gabriel purring, head resting on Lucifer’s chest as the alpha watched him proudly and stroked his fingers through the omega’s hair. They were practically wrapped around one another, legs tangled beneath the covers and naked bodies pressed as close as they could get.

For once, their souls weren’t attempting to break through their chests to reach one another because they were already swirling around each other joyfully, creating a mess of gold and bronze light, constantly twisting and turning and sliding through and over each other. 

Gabriel’s throat stung a little from the mating mark Lucifer had left there but he didn’t care; it was a pleasant kind of sting, one that said he belonged somewhere, with someone. 

Lucifer had a similar mark on the side of his neck and by the way the alpha was tracing gentle fingers over it, he would be showing the bite off to anyone who would listen.

After a few minutes, Lucifer carefully pushed Gabriel’s back to the mattress as he straddled him, and the omega huffed out a chuckle when the alpha began to kiss and nuzzle the mark on his throat, soothing the sting with light licks. Gabriel relaxed into the pillows as he wrapped his arms around Lucifer. He could feel the other man’s soul bouncing around his body and he focused on its movement. Half of Lucifer’s soul was now his, just like half of his was Lucifer’s. 

They would need to renew the bond every so often (and the mating mark) otherwise their souls would slowly return to their natural place in their own bodies, but that was more of a blessing than a curse because it meant that Gabriel and Lucifer would have to spend a lot more time in bed together or risk their new bond fading.

Gabriel grinned when Lucifer peppered kisses over his jaw. When he’d first met the alpha he’d never have believed how affectionate he could be, but Lucifer had turned out to be quite the cuddler. Gabriel couldn’t wake up without having a pair of arms snaked around him. Not that he minded.

He met Lucifer’s lips with his own and they shared a tender kiss before Lucifer settled down and buried his face into Gabriel’s neck as he snuggled into the omega. Gabriel smiled adoringly and tangled his fingers in the alpha’s hair.

A phone rang.

Lucifer cracked open an irritated eye and glared at his phone lying on the bedside table. He really didn’t want to move. Eventually the phone stopped ringing and Lucifer smiled and burrowed deeper into Gabriel’s side.

It rang again.

With a sigh, Gabriel grabbed the device and offered it to Lucifer, who lay it on Gabriel’s belly and set it on speaker without sparing a glance at the caller ID.

“This better be important,” grouched Lucifer as Gabriel bit back a laugh.

A string of expletives blared through the speaker.

Alpha and omega blinked in shock and Lucifer had to lean over to check the caller ID just to be sure his ears weren’t playing tricks on him.

“Michael?” He asked in surprise and a few explosive curses were aimed at Lucifer.

Gabriel glanced at his mate ( _His mate!_ ) in confusion and the alpha shrugged.

“If you just called to swear at me, I’m going to hang up now,” huffed Lucifer as he reached for the appropriate button.

“She’s gone!” Yelled Michael and Lucifer hesitated.

“Who’s gone?” 

“You know full well who I mean!” Michael snapped. “You and that filthy, foul-mouthed abomination of yours probably encouraged her!”

Lucifer growled softly and held Gabriel a little tighter.

“We have no idea what you’re talking about. Now don’t call me again.”

“Is he there? Is that repulsive omega with you?” Demanded Michael.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. “Yes, _my mate_ is here.” Gabriel’s heart fluttered.

There was a brief pause at the other end of the line. “…Your mate…?” A snort of disgust. “You actually mated the little beast? And before marriage? You really are an uncultured idiot.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You’ve clearly called just to insult us so I’m going to end the call now. Goodbye, brother.” He reached for the button again.

“Anna left me.”

Lucifer froze.

“Excuse me?”

An annoyed growl. “Anna was gone this morning. Left through the night and placed a note on her pillow to tell me she was never coming back. Says she’s been having an affair with a beta for the past year. Female. Already has a son.”

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow. “I see.”

“ _’I see’?_ ” I tell you my mate of nearly six years has left me after cheating on me and all you can say is _‘I see’_?” Hissed Michael incredulously. 

Lucifer shrugged. “Would you prefer me to say I’m happy for her?” 

Michael snarled. “You and that disgusting mate of yours set this up, didn’t you? You told her to leave me because you want to make my life miserable. You’re conspiring against me, aren’t you?”

Gabriel bit back a laugh as Lucifer smirked.

“We’ve got far more important things to worry about than your love life, Michael,” the alpha said.

“Or lack of it,” quipped Gabriel.

“Maybe this could be a good thing. You never deserved her anyway. This could be your chance to find someone more suited to your tastes; I hear a new alpha brothel has opened up a few miles away. They say you choose your partner by their knot size.”

Michael spluttered more expletives and Gabriel snickered.

“Hey, what’s the name of the beta?”

“Lisa. Why?” Growled Michael and Gabriel grinned.

“Thinking of sending her a ‘thank you’ basket.”

Michael spat some more ugly insults at Gabriel and Lucifer turned the phone off and hurled it over the edge of the bed, before straddling his mate once more and kissing him senseless.

“I do love a happy ending,” winked Gabriel and Lucifer smirked before ducking under the covers and doing something amazing to Gabriel’s lower half with his tongue.

He popped back up to kiss his mate’s throat.

“My dear, we’ve only just begun.”

Then he slid between the omega’s legs and Gabriel forgot how to breathe.

 

* * *

 

Cas curled around Dean with a contented rumble. They were in the university dorms, just having come back from a fresher’s party that didn’t end until three in the morning. Thankfully it was the weekend, so they had no need to get up early for classes.

Staying with Bobby meant Dean had scrapped his original plan of working at the mechanic’s until Sam was old enough to go to college, and the omega could relax with the knowledge that his little brother was safe and happy under the old beta’s care. Dean visited them every other weekend and over the holidays, but there was no longer a sense of worry about whether John would hurt his brother.

Cas was glad Dean had chosen to accompany him to university to study engineering. Being a vet student, Cas often found his timetable full, but he loved sharing a room with Dean (even if the beds were singles and they’d had to push them together to make a double) because the omega was always waiting for him when he returned after a long day.

He loved all the extra time with Dean. Before, they’d only really seen each other in the afternoons (unless they slept over, which was pretty difficult when your parents hated your boyfriend), but now, they saw each other in the morning and evening as well and Cas had never been so happy. He had never felt so at peace as when Dean wrapped his arms around him when they climbed into bed and he woke up to the omega’s head tucked under his chin in the morning. It was almost too perfect.

He’d never believed he could have this. When he’d first found out Dean was a potential soulmate, he’d expected their relationship to be like Michael and Anna’s or his parents’. Affection wasn’t something he’d been accustomed to and he’d just assumed the alpha would be expected to provide for the omega and the omega would in turn, look after the house and the children. He hadn’t really understood what ‘love’ meant and to him, it was merely a way of describing the way in which two partners worked together to provide a suitable environment to live and raise children in.

When Dean had rejected him, he couldn’t understand why. He’d had to learn what a relationship was really about and he was so grateful that Dean had offered him a chance, because what he had now was far better than anything he could have imagined. He probably didn’t deserve Dean after the way he had originally treated him… scratch that; he _definitely_ didn’t deserve Dean after the way he had treated him, but he was going to do his best from now on to make the omega happy. Dean deserved it after everything he’d been put through.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Castiel still made mistakes and Dean had to explain what he’d done wrong and they argued sometimes, but didn’t every couple? In the end though, they would always apologise and make up and things would go back to being cheerful. 

Cas couldn’t imagine a better life. He was in college, studying the course he wanted, his best friend by his side and his new family of Gabriel, Lucifer, Sam and Bobby back at home, looking after each other. It was a far cry from the life he'd had just over two years ago; the one with his own ignorant mindset, rotten friends and a cruel family. 

He stroked Dean’s hair and smiled. He adored his new life.

Dean rolled over and cocked an eyebrow at him. He’d thought the omega was asleep.

“You okay?” Whispered Dean into the darkness and Cas nodded, curling his arm more securely around Dean’s waist.

“Thinking about you.”

Dean quirked an amused smile and Cas wriggled closer.

“Thinking about how good you’ve been to me,” murmured Cas. “How happy you make me.”

Dean smiled softly and pressed their lips together.

“Are these the types of thoughts you usually have at half-three in the morning?”

“I think about you at all times in the day,” whispered Cas just to watch Dean avert his gaze shyly.

“You’re such a chick,” the omega huffed before tucking his head under Cas’.

“You love it,” whispered Cas cheekily, nuzzling his friend’s hair.

“…I love _you,_ ” murmured Dean quietly and Cas paused as his soul leapt towards Dean. They’d never said that to each other before.

“I love you too,” whispered Cas after a moment and Dean shifted to press their lips together once more. 

Cas couldn’t help but lick at Dean’s lips. The omega smelled of apple pie and nutmeg and he never tired of checking to see if he tasted as good as he smelled. Dean parted his lips willingly and Cas lapped at the omega’s mouth, tugging him closer and wanting to feel the heat of his body pressed against his.

Dean slid his tongue over Cas’ and the alpha hummed in approval as he slid his hand into the omega’s hair.

Dean tightened his grip on his friend and when Cas started to nip and suck at the omega’s lip almost possessively, claiming his mouth roughly, Dean pulled back with a breathy gasp and dilated pupils.  
He immediately buried his nose in Cas’ neck, scenting deeply.

“Are you in rut?” He whispered, nuzzling the alpha’s soft skin. “You smell amazing.”

“So do you,” murmured Cas, wriggling a little so he could capture Dean’s lips again. He’d been enjoying that and he’d like to get back to it, thank you very much.

“I’m serious,” insisted Dean. “You sure you’re not starting a rut? You smell like a bag of hormones.”

Cas bared his throat for Dean to nose at as he tried to think back to the last time he’d suffered a rut. Five months ago? Six? 

“I think I’m due to start sometime in the next couple of weeks,” mused Cas and Dean placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“I think you’ve already started, Angel.” The omega chuckled. “Which is gonna be bundles of fun considering I’m due to start my heat this week.” Dean’s heats were unpredictable due to him having presented only recently. Sometimes there would be the full six months in between cycles, sometimes only two, and the cycle durations were also unruly. Some heats lasted the full two weeks, some lasted longer and others may only last for a day before ending. The only thing that had remained constant was that for the duration of Dean’s cycle, Cas had given the omega privacy and only bothered him to check if he needed anything.

Their heat and rut had never aligned before though. If Dean's heat was going to stick to the regular six-month gap between cycles, this was going to be a difficult two weeks.

“I can smell that you’re worried,” mumbled Dean as he scented at Cas’ throat and the alpha nuzzled his hair lightly.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he confessed. Ever since Dean had admitted he was nervous about anyone touching him… down there, Cas had never brought the subject up again, believing it important to wait until Dean felt comfortable. Being in a rut would make it more difficult for Castiel to keep himself in check.

“You won’t hurt me, Angel,” whispered Dean and Cas would never admit how fond he was of the odd pet name.

He was snapped out of his musings when Dean rolled him onto his back and straddled him before claiming his mouth filthily, all tongues and teeth. 

He pulled back with a smirk whilst Cas stared at him with wide eyes.

“Like I said; bundles of fun,” Dean winked before rolling his hips.

Cas hissed as a crotch rubbed against his own.

“Dean,” he warned, feeling his hormones beginning to take an interest in the situation and he soon came to realise that Dean was indeed correct; he was entering his rut.

“Yes, _alpha_?” The omega purred and that word said in that tone from those pretty lips _did things_ to Cas’ body.

“Dean,” Cas whimpered, practically feeling his hormones being released into his blood stream.

“Hm?” Another tortuous hip roll; deep and slow against Cas’ already stiffening length.

“You need to stop,” choked Cas, instincts latching onto Dean as a suitable mate. “Right now.”

The omega smirked and began to rock against Cas crotch, nipping his throat teasingly.

Cas reached out to still his friend. “Stop,” he demanded and Dean frowned briefly before doing as asked. Cas sighed softly as Dean slid off him and he closed his eyes to try to calm his instincts.

Then a movement beside him caught his eye and Cas’s jaw fell slack.

Dean certainly made quite the picture with his head tilted back and throat exposed as he lay with his legs spread, a hand dipped between them, touching and stroking at what lay behind the thin material of his boxers. Cas couldn’t tear his gaze away and it was only when a quiet moan of _“Cas”_ slipped from Dean’s lips did the alpha finally get with the program. 

Dean laughed delightedly when Castiel pounced on him, pinning him to the bed as he ravished his mouth.

After some heated kisses and heavy breathing, Cas pulled back slightly.

“Are you sure?” He asked even though every instinct in his body was telling him to claim this omega _now_ and Dean smiled at Cas’ restraint.

“I’m positive, Angel,” he replied without a hint of doubt before capturing Cas’ lips sweetly. 

Their kiss turned rough and passionate as their hands wandered over each other’s bodies and before either them had really noticed, they were naked and rutting against one another desperately, hands roaming over anything within reach.

“Cas,” panted Dean as he fisted his hand in the alpha’s hair. Their erections slid over one another and Dean blew out a shaky breath. He felt his own hormones waking up at Cas’ aroused state and he couldn’t help but bare his throat for the alpha to scent.

Cas pressed his nose into Dean’s throat and nipped possessively at it. That sweet and spicy mix of apple pie and nutmeg was intoxicating and Cas wanted to roll in it.

Dean scraped his nails lightly over Cas’ spine in need and the alpha shivered at the pleasurable sensations before crushing their mouths together once more. He continued to rut against Dean’s stiffness until the tantalisingly sweet smell of slick drifted to his nostrils. 

The omega arched upwards with a soft whine and Cas circled a thumb around his nipple, pinching the nub until it hardened. He shifted to lap at the other one, biting at it until it was in the same state and by the time Dean squeezed impatiently at his rump, it was clear the omega’s heat had decided to start early now that it could detect an alpha in the first stages of his rut.

Cas gazed down at the writhing omega beneath him; his beautiful, strong, intelligent omega with sparkling emerald eyes, a heart of gold and a smile that could outshine any sun, and his soul hammered at his chest.

“Mine,” he hissed, letting his instincts take over as he tugged their bodies flush until they were breathing each other’s air. “My omega.” He nipped at Dean’s jaw as his hands smoothed over his sides possessively, touching every inch of skin as though it was a mark; a way of claiming Dean.

“Alpha, please,” begged Dean softly as he bared his throat and Cas had enough sense to know that they weren’t quite ready for that yet. He pressed an adoring kiss to the flesh instead.

“Knot me, alpha,” breathed Dean, instincts taking over as he spread his legs wider. “Need you.”

Cas rumbled appreciatively as he nuzzled Dean’s throat. He felt drunk on that perfect scent. 

He caught the omega’s lips again before sliding down his body and peppering kisses over his chest and then his stomach before reaching his slick-soaked thighs.

He pressed his lips to the inside of one thigh, his thumb rubbing sensually over the other and he looked up to find bright green eyes staring intently at him. Raising one eyebrow, he smirked and Dean’s breath hitched when he shifted to kiss the omega’s aching erection. 

He started from the bottom and trailed kisses all the way to the top and back down again before sliding his tongue over the organ obscenely and Dean let his head fall back against the pillow with a moan.

With another smirk, Cas took Dean into his mouth and the omega whimpered.

“Tease,” he panted and the alpha grinned before pulling off and surprising the omega with a lick to his damp thigh.

He hummed in approval as Dean gazed at him. 

“You taste wonderful, omega,” he commented before pressing his tongue to Dean’s slick-drenched hole. 

“Cas!” Gasped Dean as the alpha teased him with gentle licks and when Cas’ tongue pushed deeper, the omega groaned. 

“Alpha, please!”

Castiel chuckled. So much for hating omega stereotypes. He wormed his way back up Dean’s body, allowing the omega to smash their lips together desperately, and he swallowed Dean’s moan as he finally gave the omega what he wanted.

The idea that he was Dean’s first just as Dean was his made Cas growl as he took the omega. Dean held on to him a little tighter, mewling in pleasure as Cas’ hands roamed over his body. The innocent sound made Cas want to wrap himself around Dean protectively and shield him from all the horrors of the world. 

He vowed to look after this omega until the day he died. He would give Dean everything he could; the omega deserved it after all he’d been through.

His rhythm quickened and he groaned when Dean arched into him, seeking more friction. It wasn’t long before the stimulation was too much, Cas' knot swelling and they both cried out as a new kind of pleasure washed over them; one they hadn’t experienced before. 

Cas tried to fall to the side so he wouldn’t flop onto Dean, but the omega pulled him close and he ended up draped over the larger boy, both of them holding each other as they breathed in one another’s scents.

Cas closed his eyes and smiled as Dean nuzzled at his neck. They both reeked of each other and Cas wasn’t ashamed to say he liked the idea of Dean’s slick coating his own thighs; it made him smell like apple pie.

“I stink of honey and charcoal,” huffed Dean, but he didn’t sound annoyed about it. In fact, he sounded quite pleased. 

“You smell like a happy omega,” murmured Cas as he snuggled into Dean and his lover quirked his lips as he stroked Cas’ head.

“I _am_ a happy omega,” he mumbled and Cas grinned as he placed a loving kiss to the other boy’s mouth.

“You smell like a satisfied alpha,” whispered Dean, their lips brushing with each word and Cas nuzzled his cheek.

“That’s because you’re here.”

“Sap,” huffed Dean but he was smiling and Castiel rolled onto his side, his knot keeping them together, and tugged the omega into his chest, tucking his head under his chin.

After a while, Dean squeezed his lover gently.

“I’m glad you didn’t give up on me,” he whispered. “I’m glad you tried so hard to court me even after I said ‘no’.”

“So am I,” Cas commented drily as he pulled Dean closer and the omega huffed out a quiet laugh.

“I mean it. I’m glad you never gave up, even when I was with Crowley.”

Cas didn’t even bother to hide his jealous growl and Dean smirked as he pressed a kiss to the alpha’s jaw.

“I was an assbutt,” mumbled Cas and Dean bit back a snicker.

“You were a poetic assbutt though.”

Cas quirked a smile before reaching blindly behind him for his wallet. He managed to snatch it off the bedside table and fished through it to pull out a crumpled piece of paper, which he handed to Dean.

Curious, Dean unravelled the small slither of paper and his eyes widened.

_The roses are wilting,_  
_The violets are dead,_  
_Make fun of me again,_  
_I’ll knock off your head_

_Dean_

“You kept this?” Asked Dean. “Why?”

Cas shrugged. “At first I forgot about it. Then when we got to know each other, I realised it was the first thing you ever gave to me. I couldn’t part with it.”

Dean’s heart did something strange in his chest and he carefully folded the paper and placed it back into Cas’ wallet, sliding it on Cas’ bedside table again before cuddling into the sentimental alpha.

“Oh,” he whispered, a little overwhelmed and touched that he had such a thoughtful lover.

 _Lover._

He liked that word.

Cas began to pepper kisses over his head and Dean found his eyelids drooping. Today had been a long day.

“Sleep, Dean,” murmured Cas. “It’s late.”

In actual fact, it was nearing four o’clock, so it was early.

He nuzzled Cas’ throat and the alpha curled around him tightly. 

“I really do love you,” Dean said around a yawn and Cas smiled fondly as he nosed at Dean’s hair.

“I love you too. Now sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

Dean nestled into the alpha’s chest.

“’M not some damsel in distress. Don’t need an alpha to protect me,” he teased and Cas rolled his eyes. 

“I’ve been on the receiving end of your fist enough times to know that.”

“Sorry,” mumbled Dean and Cas smiled.

“I deserved it.”

“You did,” agreed Dean sleepily and Cas snorted as he rested his chin on the omega’s head.

“If you’re protecting me, then I gotta protect you too,” muttered Dean, eyes closed and voice starting to slur.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” replied Cas as he, too, started to lose consciousness.

A combination of Cas’ mellow heartbeat and his strong, loving scent lulled Dean into a deep sleep, Dean’s breathing and adoring scent doing the same for Cas. 

They lay there in each other’s arms, tied together, totally at peace and wholly content to be with each other until the end of time and beyond. Whatever the world wanted to throw at them, they knew they could face it together.

It would be nine weeks before either of them realised Castiel had forgotten to wear a condom…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Sorrynotsorry
> 
> It's over! It's finally over! I have really loved writing this one and to _Viplaja_ , I know it wasn't the 2000-word Destiel-focused ficlet you requested, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway, because I certainly did! ;) Thank you to everyone who supported this fic by commenting and kudosing (and subscribing!) and I hope the ending was just cheesy enough to make you smile.
> 
> To those of you who've asked, I will be going back to _Running with the wolves_ now, so have no fear! More a/b/o stuff coming your way! 
> 
> Also: 20,000 hits?! Guys I love you all so much! Hopefully see you in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm a little embarrassed. I got this request a year ago from _Viplaja_ and completely forgot about it and I literally only just found it half-written on my laptop today. Since it took so long to get out, I've decided I'm going to do a full fic instead of the 2000 word request the prompt was initially for.
> 
> Sorry for the dreadful wait...
> 
> Prompt: _Would you consider writing something like a High school AU in ABO verse, where Cas is an alpha and bullies unpresented Dean for years (Dean may be cast out thanks to his family status, Cas could be Jock/ Dean could be nerd- whatever reason) - only to find out later that Dean is an omega and worse- his "mate". Now Cas would have to try like hell to get Dean to even consider mating him. Dean meanwhile has struggled years on his unhealthy crush on his bully (his omega is repressed due to the fact that he is constantly "rejected" by his mate.)_
> 
> I took a few liberties to make the story flow a little smoother. Hope you don't mind!


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